National champions decided across acrobatic, rhythmic, and trampoline and tumbling disciplines; Olympic rosters in rhythmic and trampoline named

ST. LOUIS, July 1, 2021 – The 2021 USA Gymnastics Championships concluded Sunday at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. Laura Zeng of Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center won the all-around competition, posting a 194.450. Evita Griskenas of Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center finished second with a score of 185.150. Lennox Hopkins-Wilkins of Puyallup, Wash./Evergreen Rhythmics (164.550) was third. The top 12 competitors from Friday and Saturday advanced to compete in the all-around. Zeng followed up national championships on hoop, clubs and ribbon earlier in the week by posting the day’s top scores on hoop, ball and ribbon. Griskenas, who earned the ball title Friday, led Sunday’s field on clubs.

Individual and group Olympians in the rhythmic discipline were named at the event’s conclusion and are listed below alphabetically.

Rhythmic individual competitors
Evita Griskenas, Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Lennox Hopkins-Wilkins, Puyallup, Wash./Evergreen Rhythmics (replacement athlete)
Laura Zeng, Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center

Rhythmic group competitors
Isabelle Connor, Manhattan Beach, Calif./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Camilla Feeley, Wheeling, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Yelyzaveta Merenzon, Buffalo Grove, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Lili Mizuno, Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Gergana Petkova, Barrington, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center (replacement athlete)
Elizaveta Pletneva, Wheeling, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Nicole Sladkov, Vernon Hills, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center

Nicole Ashinger of Lafayette, La./Trampoline & Tumbling Express took top honors in women’s trampoline, posting a 155.830, while Jeffrey Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy won the men’s trampoline with a 170.365. Kaden Brown of Bluffdale, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling took top honors in men’s tumbling with a 147.000. Miah Bruns of Crete, Ill./World Champions Centre, was the women’s tumbling champion, notching a 127.700. In double mini-trampoline, Aliah Raga of Denton, Md./Dulles Gymnastics Academy earned the women’s title with a 135.900, and Trevor Harder of Archdale, N.C./Carolina Elite claimed the men’s championship with a 148.200.

Based on her performances across three selection events in 2021, Ahsinger garnered her second Olympic berth in women’s trampoline, while Aliaksei Shostak of Lafayette, La./Trampoline & Tumbling Express was awarded a nominative spot by the International Gymnastics Federation. The full U.S. trampoline delegation is listed below alphabetically.

Men’s and women’s trampoline
Nicole Ahsinger, Lafayette, La./Trampline & Tumbling Express
Charlotte Drury, Laguna Niguel, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics (replacement athlete)
Aliaksei Shostak, Lafayette, La./Trampoline & Tumbling Express

In acrobatic gymnastics, Reagan Grigsby, Makayla Anderson and Taylor Smith of Empire Acrogymnastics took the women’s group (12-18) combined title en route to the division championship. The group from Empire Acrogymnastics (79.950) edged runners up Bethany Glick, Ellie Sousa and Emma Sousa of Cal Elite (79.880) for the top spot. The women’s trio of Jordan Gruendler, Bethany Strawn and Gabriella Vathy of AGSA rounded out the top three with a 78.300. Meanwhile Cierra McKowan and Katie Borcherding of Moreno, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy were the lone competitors in the women’s pair (13-19), scoring a 27.030 in combined. McKowan and Borcherding posted a 78.170 across three days of competition.

The top-three placements in each event are listed below.

Acrobatic gymnastics
  • Women’s group: 1. Makayla Anderson, Reagan Grigsby and Taylor Smith of Empire Acrogymnastics, 79.950; 2. Bethany Glick, Ellie Sousa and Emma Sousa of Cal Elite, 79.880; 3. Jordan Gruendler, Bethany Strawn and Gabriella Vathy of AGSA, 78.300
  • Women’s pair: 1. Cierra McKowan and Katie Borcherding of Realis Gymnastics Academy, 78.170
Rhythmic gymnastics
  • Senior all-around: 1. Laura Zeng, Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, 194.450; 2. Evita Griskenas, Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, 185.150; 3. Lennox Hopkins-Wilkins, Puyallup, Wash./Evergreen Rhythmics, 164.550
Trampoline & tumbling
  • Men’s trampoline: 1. Jeffrey Gluckstein, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./ETA, 170.365; 2. Cody Gesuelli, Merina Trampoline, 162.895; 3. Elijah Vogel, Elevated Trampoline, 162.450
  • Women’s trampoline: 1. Nicole Ashinger, Lafayette, La./T&T Express, 155.830; 2. Charlotte Drury, World Elite Gymnastics, 155.245; Jessica Stevens, Fairland Gymnastics, 154.435
  • Men’s tumbling: 1. Kaden Brown, Bluffdale, Utah/Wasatch Trampoline & Tumbling, 147.000; 2. Alex Renkert, Columbus, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, 136.300; 3. Alex Balinbin, Kenner, La./Elmwood Gymnastics, 132.300
  • Women’s tumbling: 1. Miah Bruns, Crete, Ill./World Champion Centre, 127.700; 2. Sarah Thompson, Davis, Ill./J and J Tumbling, 126.900; 3. Morgan Vermillion, Pekin, Ill./Central Illinois Gymnastics, 125.300
  • Men’s double mini: 1. Trevor Harder, Archdale, N.C./Carolina Elite, 148.200; 2. Alex Renkert, Columbus, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, 144.900; 3. Weston Sitz, Prosper, Texas/Eagle Gymnastics, 143.200
  • Women’s double mini: 1. Aliah Raga, Denton, Md./Dulles Gymnastics Academy, 135.900; 2. Trinity Van Natta, Hilliard, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, 135.400; 3. Tristan Van Natta, Westerville, Ohio/Integrity Athletics, 134.200