COLUMBUS, Ohio – We are still less than a year away until the 2016 Olympic Games, but the pressure is on now for gymnasts. The U.S. National Qualifier was this past weekend and finishing in third and fourth place were two Buckeyes with very real shots of making it to Rio.

“It’s crunch time now. It’s literally a year away,” said OSU sophomore gymnast Sean Melton. “If they say my name on that team, it would be amazing.”

Just 15 people are on the U.S. men’s gymnastics national team. Melton was one of them, until an injury set him back. But now, he’s healthy and hungry to make a return.

“I’m just excited to go out and compete again,” said Melton. “It’s been awhile since I’ve competed and I just want to get back out there and show them that I’m ready and I’ve improved a lot since they saw me last.”

Next June, 15 gymnasts will be invited to the Olympic trials. And just five will get the ultimate invite to represent the U.S. in Rio.

“It gets pretty intense when it comes down to this last year and everyone needs a good competition,” explains Melton. “These guys are your best friend and you’ve been growing up with them and that day, you’re trying to take each other’s spot.”

That includes fellow Buckeye Brandon Wynn. He graduated in 2011 and came close to making the Olympic team in 2012.

“I definitely think I’m less nervous this time around,” said Wynn. “I’m more confident in where I am in life. It’s a different grind for me.”

At 26 years old, this is likely Wynn’s last chance to make the Olympics. And after six years of being on the national team, it’s now or never.

“I just look at my own progress. My own mental and physical state,” said Wynn. “In a way, I’m motivated and preparing well. That’s all I can ask for.”

Wynn trains at the U.S. Olympic training center full-time as he tries to pursue his Olympic dream. And that doesn’t come cheap. He started his own GoFundMe page in a way to help defray the costs of training for the Games.

Both he and Melton will participate in the P&G National Championships in August in Indianapolis.