Justus, Belanovski win junior all-around titles at 2013 P&G Gymnastics Champions

Aug 18, 2013 by Anne Phillips

HARTFORD, Conn., Aug. 18, 2013 – Hunter Justus of Cypress, Texas/Cypress, and Dmitri Belanovski of West Allis, Wis./Swiss Turners, won the Junior Elite Division’s 15-16 and 17-18 age divisions, respectively, at the 2013 P&G Gymnastics Championships at Hartford’s (Conn.) XL Center.

With 166.150 points, Justus took the Junior Elite 15-16 title ahead of Marty Strech of Fountain Valley, Calif./Azarian’s, 165.700, and Quest Hayden of Evans, Ga./Hayden’s, 164.650.

In addition to his all-around title, Justus took the national title on parallel bars, cleanly landing a double pike dismount for a two-day total of 28.350 points. He tumbled a double-twisting double tuck on floor for 28.800 points and the silver medal, as well as finished fourth on rings with 28.100 points. In the final rotation, Justus caught a full-twisting Kovacs and a tucked Kovacs on the horizontal bar to seal the all-around title.

Strech earned the floor exercise gold with 29.100 points and the silver on rings with 28.350 points, while Quest took the title on high bar with 28.200 points. Other event titles went to Alec Yoder of Indianapolis, Ind./InterActive Academy, on pommel horse with 28.050 points, and Jalon Stephens of Shreveport, La./Jill’s Gymnastics, won vault with 29.150 points.

In the Junior Elite 17-18 division, Belanovski compiled 164.800 points, placing in the top six on each of the six events. Belanovski won two individual titles, using tucked and piked Yamawakis for the gold on rings with 28.050 points and earning the same score for his smoothly swung routine on parallel bars.

Second in the all-around with 163.600 points, Andrew Rickly of Lewis Center, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center, also won the high bar title with 28.150 points. Matt Foster of Addison, Ill./Premier, was third in the all-around with 161.050 points and won the individual title on pommel horse with 27.650 points. Event titles also were awarded to Taylor Seaton of Plano, Texas/WOGA, on vault with 29.500 points and Chandler Eggleston of Jamestown, N.C./High Point, on floor with 29.000 points.

Following the completion of the 2013 P&G Gymnastics Championships in Hartford, Conn., USA Gymnastics named the members of the 2013-14 U.S. Men’s Junior National Team.

Men’s Junior Elite National Team

15-16 Division

Fabian DeLuna, Frisco, Texas/WOGA Frisco

Quest Hayden, Evans, Ga./Hayden’s Gymnastics

Hunter Justus, Cypress, Texas/Cypress Gymnastics

Marvin Kimble, Milwaukee, Wis./Swiss Turners

Yul Moldauer, Arvada, Colo./5280 Gymnastics

Robert Neff, Brookfield, Wis./Swiss Turners

Marty Stretch, Fountain Valley, Calif./Azarian’s Gymnastics

17-18 Division

Dmitri Belanovski, West Allis, Wis./Swiss Turners

Jacob Dastrop, Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Olympic Training Center

Jordan DeClerk, Bloomingdale, Ill./Aerial Gymnastics

Chandler Eggleston, Champaign, Ill./University of Illinois

Matt Foster, Addison, Ill./University of Illinois

Alex Powarzynski, Menlfree, Calif./SCATS

Andrew Rickly, Lewis Center, Ohio/Hocking Valley Gymnastics Center

The winners of the junior men’s annual awards were also announced: Andrei Kan of Swiss Turners, Junior Olympic Coach of the Year; Akash Modi of Monmouth Gymnastics Academy, Mas Watanable Award; and Yuriy Aminov of Monmouth Gymnastics Academy, Roberto Pumpido Award.

The top seven athletes in the 15-16 age division and the top seven athletes in the 17-18 age division were selected rank order to the Junior Elite National Team using the combined all-around results from two days of competition. Age-eligible juniors may be competing in either the junior or senior division sessions. Only athletes who competed Optional Routines and Technical Sequences at the Junior Olympic National Championships or at the National Qualifier were eligible for the Junior Elite National Team.