Chris Cameron (gymnast)

Cameron's hometown is Winter Haven, Florida, where he attended Lake Region High School.[1] He enrolled at the University of Michigan in 2007. As a freshman in the spring of 2008, Cameron was named an Academic All-American by the College Gymnastics Association. At the 2008 Big Ten Conference championship, he tied for third on pommel horse with a score of 14.850.[1]

As a sophomore in 2009, Cameron won his first individual all-around title at the Windy City Invitational on January 17, 2009. He followed with an all-around title at the Pacific Coast Classic on February 21, 2009, with a score of 89.750. At the Big Ten Conference team championship on April 3, 2009, he finished second to teammate Thomas Kelley in the all-around competition. At the NCAA finals on April 17, 2009, he helped Michigan to a second-place finish in the team competition with career bests on floor exercise (15.650) and pommel horse (15.300) -- earning NCAA All-American status in both events. Cameron was also named to U.S. senior men's national team following the Winter Cup Invitational at the Las Vegas Sports Center on February 9, 2009.[1] He was the first Michigan Wolverine gymnast to make the national team since Scott Vetere in 1999-2000. After the selection, Cameron told a reporter, "It was the most exhilarating and unbelievable thing I've felt in my entire life. I could not believe what had happened."[2]

As a junior in 2010, Cameron was again named to the senior national team after placing third in the all-around at the Winter Cup Invitational in Las Vegas on February 6, 2010.[1] At the Big Ten championship in early April 2010, Cameron won the all-around competition and floor exercise. He was also named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Year.[3] After Cameron won the Big Ten title, Michigan coach Kurt Golder told a reporter, "I think he just has an inner drive to succeed and become the best gymnast he can become. It's really hard to find, and we're fortunate at Michigan to have a guy that's driven that hard."[3] Teammate Thomas Kelley added, "He's more dedicated than any other gymnast I've ever met. He's got that little extra drive and little extra confidence that I think a lot of us aspire to have in our gymnastics. Just to go out, and know that you're going to hit no matter what. Chris doesn't waver. He's always rock solid."[3]

On April 16, 2010, Cameron won the individual all-around title and led Michigan to the team championship at the NCAA Men's Gymnastics championship at Christl Arena in West Point, New York.[4] Cameron won the all-around title with 90.500 points, including 15.600 on the floor, 15.450 on rings and vault, 15.150 on parallel bars, 15.050 on pommel horse and a 13.800 on the horizontal bar.[4] His score was 1.55 points ahead of second-place finisher Steven Legendre. Cameron's Michigan teammate Mel Anton Santander finished third in the all-around.[5] After winning the all-around title, Cameron told International Gymnast Magazine, "It's been a lot of hard work, and all I can say is I couldn't dream of a better way to do it. I wouldn't want to do all-around if it was going to hurt the team. But it just so happens I can help the team by doing all-around tonight. I did it, I won, we won. There's nothing better than this."[6] In an interview with The Michigan Daily, he added, "I usually grasp everything I've done right away. Not this. This hasn't hit me yet."[5]

After winning the NCAA all-around title, Cameron was scheduled to compete with the US national team at the Pan Pacific championships in Melbourne, Australia, starting on April 23, 2010.[4]