Sam Mikulak takes early lead at U.S. gymnastics championships

INDIANAPOLIS – Sam Mikulak gave himself a leg up in winning a third consecutive U.S. Championship, but the audience he's targeting wasn't necessarily in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

As he finished his dismount off the parallel bars, one that included the slightest of hops, he didn't think he'd necessarily be putting up the highest score of the night. Instead, his focus was on how it looked, a flow between the skills rather than a mechanical run-through of them.

A "more international" look is what he was going for.

The 16.250 he scored on the event helped him open up a more than 2-point lead after the first night of competition. It also showcased Mikulak's progression from good American gymnast to contender among the world's best.

"I definitely felt like I was showing it off and with the exception of the hop on the landing, I didn't think they could really find too much deduction," he said. "I felt it was a little bit higher than I expected, but hey I'm happy to get it. If I were to do that routine in the Olympics or World Championships, I'd be very pleased."

Mikulak's score of 92.000 put him in first after the first night of competition, with the final round on Sunday. He's seeking to become the first American man since Paul Hamm in 2002-04 to win three consecutive national titles.

But he's doing it by distancing himself from the U.S. field.

Donnell Whittenburg was second with a score of 89.650, while Paul Ruggeri (88.350), Jonathan Horton (88.300) and Danell Leyva (88.050) ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

"Sam was ridiculous today, a friggin' rock star out there," said Horton. "I know I told you guys my goal was to be back on top, but if Sam keeps doing what he's doing, no one's going to catch him."

Mikulak's night started on pommel horse, where he posted one of only five scores better than 15 on the longtime nemesis for the U.S. men. It was a relief that started a clean run through the next five events. It wasn't until he got to floor, his last event of the night, that he stumbled on the landing of a tumbling pass and had to put his hands down. That score, 14.350, was his lowest.

"He seems like he's starting to steady his performances," said Kevin Mazeika, men's national team coordinator. "He seems very calm out there and it's showing in his gymnastics. He's very controlled, very high level of performance. And he's making the hard gymnastics look easy and that's a good sign."

That's come, at least in part, thanks to a move to Colorado Springs in May to train at the Olympic Training Center. While he loved his time at Michigan, he needed a shift from the college lifestyle. The move has allowed him more hours in the gym and recovery, a greater focus on nutrition and sleep.

"I wanted to give it everything I've got by moving out to Colorado," he said. "It's a commitment to gymnastics and saying, 'I want to make the most out of this next year leading up to Rio.'"

So far, so good. Mikulak's got a win in the all-around at the Pan American Games last month to show for it. And if he continues to perform like he did here Friday, he might have another U.S. title to his name before he takes that routine with the international feel to the World Championships.

Nancy Armour (@nrarmour) contributed to this story