Known for featuring many elite debuts and breakout performances, the Secret US Classic acts as an exciting prelude to what is the biggest national meet of the year; US Championships. This weekend gymnastics fans flocked to the Sears Arena in Illinois to watch the competition unfold - and it was quite a spectacle.

 

THE JUNIORS

 

The absence of reigning national champ Bailie Key left the junior title wide open.

 

On vault, Jordan Chiles from Naydenov achieved great amplitude on her double twisting yurchenko to score 14.900 (5.8 + 9.1). This massive score helped her to secure the all around title. Emily Gaskins (12th AA) of Cincinnati Gymnastics earned a 9.0 execution score for her neat full twist and Lexy Ramler from Kidsport performed a very efficient, stuck full twisting yurchenko.

 

'Artistic' and 'classy' are words that I've never used to describe a bar routine, but for Deanne Soza of Arete (joint 3rd AA) I have to make an exception. Her bar routine was definitely one of the highlights of the junior competition for me. Her handstands showed beautiful form and her transitions between the high and low bar were elegant and well-flighted. The routine concluded with a well landed full twisting double layout to score 14.200 (5.6 + 8.6), the second highest junior bar score. Emily Gaskins' bar routine also deserves a mention solely for her excellent jaeger, pak salto and double layout dismount. 

 

On beam Norah Flatley (joint 3rd AA) from Chow's delivered another highly impressive beam routine to easily secure first place on the event. The best moments of the routine included her back handspring, back handspring layout and the endless difficult connections that she was making such as a front aerial to sheep jump and a front tuck to wolf jump. These all helped in building her difficulty to a huge 6.2, with a final score of 15.1, which, unbelievably, would have earned her the bronze medal in the beam final at the 2012 London Olympics. Another junior competitor who showed poise on the beam was second year elite Maile O'Keefe from Salcianu Gymnastics. O'Keefe had a great all-around competiton to finish 6th. Taylor Lawson from Parkettes also caught my eye on beam when she performed her standing arabian salto. The height she achieved was absolutely incredible!

 

However it was on floor that Maile O'Keefe stood out most. (She placed 2nd on floor - 14.100). She opened with a stuck double pike followed by an effortless double spin and clean double tuck. Her leap series displayed gorgeous over split positions and she stuck her one and a half walkout through to double twist pass. O'Keefe danced out of her final tumble; two and a half twist. Her choreography was balletic and maturely executed; very impressive for such a young gymnast. Ragan Smith of Texas Dreams took the floor title. The audience were treated to a display of her tumbling talent when she performed a tight triple twist and a high double arabian. Other highlights were her switch ring leap and stuck double pike. Ragan finished in 13th place AA.

 

Thanks for reading, stay tuned for my senior highlights! 

 

I'd love to know your thoughts on the junior competition,

 

Lucy

 

(16 year old gymnast from the UK )