5 Gymnasts To Watch At The 2019 Atlanta Crown Invitational
5 Gymnasts To Watch At The 2019 Atlanta Crown Invitational
The 2019 Atlanta Crown Invitational is right the corner, and some of the country's most exciting gymnasts are competing.
The 2019 Atlanta Crown Invitational is open to compulsory, optional, and XCEL gymnasts and will celebrate its 27th anniversary during the 2019 competition. This USAG Junior Olympic-sanctioned meet is the only Nastia Liukin Cup qualifying meet in Georgia this coming year.
As fans prepare to watch level 9 and 10 gymnasts compete in a few weeks live on FloGymnastics on January 12, here are five level 10 gymnasts to keep an eye out for in this competition.
View the complete level 9 and 10 roster here.
1. Haleigh Bryant – Everest
This talented gymnast scored a 39.000 all-around at the last Atlanta Crown Invitational, taking first place in her age group and placing first on all four events as well. Her scores were a 9.850 on vault, 9.625 on bars, 9.775 on beam and a 9.750 on floor. With those results, she has set the bar high going into the 2019 competition, but the rest of her 2018 season shows she is a consistent competitor.
She placed first in her age group at the 2018 Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup, 2018 Georgia State Championships and the 2018 Region 8 Championships, with a 38.700, 39.025 and 38.800 AA score respectively. She also qualified for JO Nationals in 2018 and placed third AA with a 38.550, and first on vault with a 9.900.
Gymnastics fans can look forward to seeing Bryant compete in the 2019 Atlanta Crown Invitational before she graduates in 2020 and continues on her career at Louisiana State University, where she has earned a full-ride scholarship.
2. Amaya Marshall – Southeastern Gymnastics
Marshall won her age category at last year’s Atlanta Crown Invitational with a 38.050, and she is ready to defend her title. At the 2018 Atlanta Crown, she also picked up first on vault, bars and beam with a 9.525 on both vault and bars and a 9.600 on beam. She also took fourth on floor with a 9.400.
Marshall finished out the 2018 season, her second as a level 10 gymnast, with third AA at North Carolina’s State Championships and Region 8 Championships, qualifying to JO Nationals and placing 15th all-around. She also took first on vault, bars and beam at State Championships, as well as first on bars at Regional Championships and third on vault and beam.
Marshall plans to graduate high school in 2020 and then compete for the University of Missouri gymnastics team. The 2019 Atlanta Crown Invitational will be her first competition of the season, and gymnastics supporters are anticipating her 2019 debut.
3. Piper Smith – First in Flight
Signed on to compete for Auburn gymnastics in 2020, Smith has little time left to compete in club gymnastics, and she is sure to show up as a fierce competitor in her final year. Her 2019 season will be one to keep an eye on, and her last few seasons prove that.
Smith is a long-time attendee of the Atlanta Crown Invitational, and in 2018 she placed first AA in her age category with a 37.700. She has done well at this competition in past years as well and took first AA in her age group in 2012, 2014 and 2016. As 2019 will be Smith’s senior season, spectators can’t wait to see her performances this upcoming year.
4. Daniela Castillo – American Twisters
This 2020 graduate and future University of Iowa gymnast will compete in the 2019 Atlanta Crown Invitational this January. Last season she took third all-around with a 38.175 and placed second on floor with a 9.775 at the 2018 Magical Classic, one of many meets she competed in.
This Floridian says her favorite event is beam and it shows: Castillo placed second on beam in the 2018 Nastia Liukin Cup, dazzling the crowd and judges with her routine. She also qualified for JO Nationals in 2018 and ended her season competing there. Castillo has been a level 10 since 2016, and her fourth level 10 year looks like it could be her best yet.
5. Lali Dekanoidze – Southeastern Gymnastics
Dekanoidze will make a splash at the 2019 Atlanta Crown Invitational with her clean routines and big combinations. Graduating in 2021, this gymnast is committed to the University of North Carolina.
In her 2017 season, Dekanoidze placed first on vault, bars, and floor, as well as all-around at her State Championships, then went on to place second all-around at both Regionals and JO Nationals.
In 2018, Dekanoidze took first all-around at the Atlanta Crown Invitational, qualifying her to the 2018 Nastia Liukin Cup. At that meet she took fifth all-around with a 37.875 and sixth on vault with a 9.650. She continued her 2018 season at the North Carolina State Championships, where she took first all-around with a 38.775, first on vault and beam with a 9.675 and a 9.775 and second on bars with a 9.650. At Region 8 Regional Championships, Dekanoidze placed first all-around with a 38.650, first on vault, bars and beam with a 9.725, 9.700 and 9.650, respectively, and second on floor with a 9.575. She qualified for JO Nationals, where she took first all-around with a 38.500 and first on beam with a 9.675.
We are excited to see these gymnasts, and countless others, begin their 2019 seasons and to watch the intense competition at the 2019 Atlanta Crown Invitational! Don't forget to watch live on FloGymnastics!
Miranda Martin is a freelance writer who writes about gymnastics, social justice issues, and more. You can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, or contact her through her website.