MILWAUKEE, July 1, 2017 – On the final night of the 2017 USA Gymnastics Championships elite competition at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, 11 senior U.S. titles were awarded: Laura Zeng of Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, rhythmic all-around; Dasha Baltovick of Highland Park, Ill., Natalie Bourand of Burr Ridge, Ill., Ugne Dragunas of Darien, Ill., Connie Du of Deerfield, Ill., Yelyzaveta Merenzon of Buffalo Grove, Ill., Nicole Sladkov of Vernon Hills, Ill., and Kristina Sobolevskaya of Deerfield, Ill., rhythmic senior group; Alex Renkert of Columbus, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, men’s double-mini; Paige Howard of San Juan Capistrano, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, women’s double-mini; Jeffrey Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, men’s trampoline; Nicole Ahsinger of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, women’s trampoline; Austin Nacey of Braidwood, Ill./TwistStars Tumbling and Trampoline, men’s tumbling; Rachel Thevenot of Metairie, La./Elmwood Gymnastics Academy, women’s tumbling; Axel Osborne and Tiffani Williams, both of Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics, mixed pair; Sophie Gruszka, Morgan Sweeney and Amanda Waterson, all of Livermore, Calif./West Coast Training Academy, women’s group; Emily Davis and Aubrey Rosilier, both of San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics, women’s pair. The USA Gymnastics Championships conclude on Sunday with the final day of Junior Olympic competition.
Zeng, a 2016 Olympian, tallied a 138.352 to clinch her third-straight U.S. senior rhythmic all-around title, finishing ahead of Evita Griskenas of Orlando Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, whose 135.734 put her in second. 2016 Olympic alternate Camilla Feeley of Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, landed in third place at 134.486. As the senior National Champion, Zeng is automatically named to the 2017 World Championships Team. From the remaining top-four all-around finishers, the Athlete Selection Committee will name the second World team member and one alternate. Baltovick, Bourand, Dragunas, Du, Merenzon, Sladkov and Sobolevskaya, won the women’s senior group title (62.667).
Gluckstein tallied a 168.735 to win his fourth senior U.S. trampoline crown. Stewart Pritchard of Greensboro, N.C./Tumblebees Ultimate Gym, scored a 161.090 for the silver medal, and Paul Bretscher of Huntsville, Ala./Merino Trampoline Gymnastics Academy, earned a 158.290 for the number three spot.
Ahsinger scored a 154.020 to clinch her first senior women’s U.S. trampoline title, followed by Clare Johnson of Huntsville, Ala./Merino Trampoline Gymnastics Academy, at 149.420 and Hally Piontek of Warrensburg, Mo./Kansas City Trampoline Club, at 148.275 for second and third, respectively.
Renkert’s 148.700 won the men’s double mini-trampoline gold medal. Nacey claimed the silver at 147.700, and Trey Katz of Charleston, Ill./Kris Power Tumbling, rounded out the top three (145.700).
In the women’s double mini-trampoline competition, Howard’s 137.700 clinched the national title. Tristan Van Natta of Plain City, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, was the silver medalist at 135.900, and Piontek earned the bronze (134.700).
Nacey took top honors in the men’s tumbling competition with his 145.400 total. Brandon Krzynefski of Centreville, Va./Capital Gymnastics National Training Center, was second at 141.300, and Emilio Lehmer, Tempe, Ariz./Aspire Kids Sports Center, rounded out the podium at 134.400.
Thevenot’s 131.500 earned the women’s tumbling crown. Melissa Doucette of Somersworth, N.H./Roots Gymnastics Center, finished in second place with her 126.700. Breanne Millard of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, placed third (126.400).
In the junior men’s competition, the 2017 U.S. champions are: Ruben Padilla, Oakley, Calif./Tornado Sport Club, trampoline; Kaden Brown, Herriman, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling, tumbling; and Aidan Casey, Bellevue, Wash./Seattle Gymnastics-Ballard, double mini-trampoline.
The 2017 U.S. junior women’s champions are: Lexi Vigil, Loveland, Texas/Acrospi, trampoline; Eve Doudican, Bixby, Okla./Oklahoma Extreme Tumbling, tumbling; and Kayttie Nakamura, Honolulu, Hawaii/Hawaii Trampoline and Tumbling, double-mini.
Osborne and Williams won their third consecutive U.S. senior all-around mixed pair title with a total of 83.397. Aisley Boynton and Maxim Sedochenkoff, both of Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy, placed second at 82.303. In women’s group, Gruszka, Sweeney and Waterson tallied 84.480 points to clinch the national title. Eleanor Chang, Calista Davis and Madison Freed, all of Laurel, Md./Emilias Acro and Cheer, earned the silver medal (84.103), and Emma Bentov-Lagman, Cristin Connerney and Helena Hall, all of Eldersburg, Md./LeeAnns Acrobatic and Tumbling Academy/1st Class Gymnastics, finished third with 81.707. Davis and Rosilier won the women’s pair title (83.033).
The U.S. junior acrobatic gymnastics national champions are: acrobatic gymnastics, all-around – Reagan Dubbels, Alex Edwards, San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio (12-18 women’s pair); Kaitlyn Koegel, Annika Mitchell, Paige Murphy, Annapolis, Md./1st Class Gymnastics (12-18 women’s group); Nate Brooks, Brody Seither, New Orleans, La./Crescent City Gymnastics (12-18 men’s pair); Sean Butehorn, Daniel Disman, Grant Shields, Sean Shields, Laurel, Md./Emilias Acro Gymnastics and Cheer (12-18 men’s group); Jordan Gruendler, Timothy Massa, San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio (12-18 mixed pair); Samantha Conway, Lally Seither, New Orleans, La./Crescent City Gymnastics (13-19 women’s pair); Isabel Chang, Alexandra Gladkova, Caitlyn Kicza, Laurel, Md./Emilias Acro (13-19 women’s group); Angel Felix, Braiden McDougall, Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics (13-19 men’s pair); and Anna Blough, Nathan Burns, Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy (13-19 mixed pair).
In rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline and tumbling, the competition is part of the selection process for the 2017 World Championships. For acrobatic gymnastics and trampoline and tumbling, the USA Gymnastics Championships is part of the selection process for the U.S. teams that will compete at the 2017 World Games, the equivalent of the Olympic Games for sports and events not included in the Olympics. 2016 Olympian Laura Zeng of Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, has already been named the U.S.’s World Games representative in rhythmic gymnastics.
2017 “Year of” Awards
2017 USA Gymnastics Championships
BMO Harris Bradley Center
Milwaukee, Wis.
July 1, 2017
All results are final.
Rhythmic Gymnastics All-around
Group
1. Baltovick-Bourand- Dragunas-Du-Merenzon-Slad, Deerfield, Ill., 62.667
2. Brasoveanu-Chen-Gu- Kaluzhny-Salie-Wang, Needham, Mass., 34.034
Trampoline
Women
1. Nicole Ahsinger, Lafayette, La., 154.020
2. Clare Johnson, Huntsville, Ala., 149.420
3. Hally Piontek, Warrensburg, Mo., 148.275
4. Jessica Stevens, Ellicott City, Md., 146.870
5. Susan Stringfellow, Frisco, Texas, 144.515
6. Shea Silhan, Lafayette, Texas, 142.495
7. Sarah Webster, Lafayette, La., 107.665
Tumbling
Women
1. Rachel Thevenot, Metairie, La., 131.500
2. Melissa Doucette, Somersworth, N.H., 126.700
3. Breanne Millard, Rsm, Calif., 126.400
4. Hope Bravo, Dallas, Texas, 121.000
5. Eliza Floisand, Salt Lake City, Utah, 120.900
Double mini-trampoline
Women
1. Paige Howard, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 137.700
2. Tristan Van Natta, Plain City, Ohio, 135.900
3. Hally Piontek, Warrensburg, Mo., 134.700
4. Kristle Lowell, Orland Park, Ill., 134.100
5. Michiko Sharpe, Houston, Texas, 132.700
6. Kellyn Euhus, Byron, Ill., 130.700
7. Kelly Keitel, Effingham, Ill., 117.500
8. Lacey Jenkins, Mattoon, Ill., 95.400
Acrobatic gymnastics
Women’s pair
1. Emily Davis/Aubrey Rosilier, San Antonio, Texas, 83.033
Mixed Pair
1. Axel Osborne and Tiffani Williams, Moreno Valley, Calif., 83.397
2. Aisley Boynton and Maxim Sedochenkoff, Moreno Valley, Calif., 82.303
Background information
