In the second part of our series “As Seen at the Ranch”, we’re taking a look at the Junior National Team to see what upgrades and new skills they have been training. Once again, this is based on footage from the January 21-25 training camp at the Karolyi Ranch. Check out our summary below to see what the girls have been working on.

*Note that we have included new seniors Bailie Key and Nia Dennis in the juniors section below since they were technically still on the junior team at the time. We have also included Alexis Vasquez who has recently retired from elite gymnastics.

Vault

The only major new skill on vault that we saw came from Norah Flatley, who showed a double twisting Yurchenko, a big upgrade from her previous full twisting Yurchenko that she previously competed, which only carried a 5.0 difficulty level. Watch Flatley compete her Yurchenko double full in Jesolo here (Gold)

Uneven Bars

Almost all of the girls demonstrated new skills and/or connections on uneven bars, particularly with release moves. Nia Dennis, Ragan Smith, Laurie Hernandez and Bailie Key were all practicing new releases that are worth 0.50 or 0.60. Bailie Key demonstrated a long connection series, the most notable being a Ricna into Pak Salto, worth +0.20 in bonus points.

Nia Dennis
New skill: Church (toe-on piked Tkatchev)
Value: E (0.50)

Ragan Smith
New skill: Ricna
Value: E (0.50)

Victoria Nguyen
New skill: Endo in L-grip
Value: D (0.40)

Laurie Hernandez
New skill #1: Ricna
Value: E (0.50)
New skill #2: Downie
Value: F (0.60)
Watch Hernandez's bar routine from 2015 Jesolo here (Gold).

Emily Gaskins
New skill: Maloney
Value: D (0.40)

Norah Flatley
New skill: Stoop endo in L-grip
Value: C (0.30)
Watch Flatley's bar routine from Jesolo here (Gold).

Alexis Vasquez
New connection: Maloney into immediate uprise and full turn
Value: D + C = +0.20

Bailie Key
New skill: Downie
Value: F (0.60)
New connection #1: Ricna into Pak Salto
Value: E + D = +0.20
New connection #2: Chow into overshoot to handstand
Value: D + D = +0.10
New connection #3: Overshoot to handstand into straddle stalder with full turn on LB into stalder shoot to high bar
Value: D + D + C = +0.10
Watch Key's bar routine from Jesolo here (Gold).

Balance Beam

Many of the gymnasts were working new acrobatic skills on beam, with the highlight being Ragan Smith’s full twisting… piked somersault. This move is actually not technically in the Code of Points - she would likely be credited for a full twisting laid out somersault, which is a whopping G element, but would receive deductions for not being fully laid out.

On the connection side, one worth noting is Norah Flatley’s new aerial front walkover into sheep jump, a combination which is worth an additional +0.20. Emily Gaskins also has a beautiful new mount series that is so unique and artistic, starting with a few holds and connected into her tumbling series.

Jazmyn Foberg
New connection: Front tuck into wolf jump
Value: D + A = +0.10
Watch Foberg's beam routine from Jesolo here (Gold).

Ragan Smith
New skill: Full twisting back layout
Value: G (0.70)

Alexis Vasquez
New connection/skill: Back-handspring into back-handspring step out into double pike dismount
Value: B +B + E = +0.10

Victoria Nguyen
New skill: Front tuck
Value: D (0.40)
Watch Nguyen's beam routine from event finals at the 2015 Jesolo Trophy here (Gold).

Laurie Hernandez
New skill: Front pike
Value: E (0.50)
New connection: Front tuck into wolf jump
Value: D + A = +0.10
Watch Hernandez's beam routine from Jesolo here (Gold).

Bailie Key
New connection: Switch leg leap ½ into back pike
Value: D + C = +0.10
New connection/skill: Back handspring into back handspring step out into double pike dismount
Value: B +B + E = +0.10
Watch Key's beam routine from Jesolo here (Gold)

Norah Flatley
New connection: Aerial walkover into sheep jump
Value: D + D = +0.20
In Jesolo, Flatley also competed a new wolf jump to punch front to sissone to split jump combo, which you can watch here (Gold).

Emily Gaskins
New mount series: Handstand hold into planche into chest forward roll with one leg extended into back walkover into back-handspring step-out, back layout step-out

Floor Exercise

The highlight on floor came from the Texas Dreams girls, who both worked some tough F element acrobatic skills on the soft mat - a double layout and a piked double arabian.

Ragan Smith
New skill #1: Double layout
Value: F (0.60)
New skill #2: Piked double arabian
Value: F (0.60)
Watch Smith's new floor routine from 2015 Jesolo here (Gold)

Bailie Key
New skill #1: Double layout
Value: F (0.60)
New skill #2: Piked double arabian
Value: F (0.60)
Watch Key's 15.0 floor routine from 2015 Jesolo here (Gold)

Alexis Vasquez
New skill: Triple twist
Value: E (0.50)


Related:
As Seen At the Ranch - Senior Edition 
Watch all videos from the 2015 City of Jesolo Trophy here