We are back with our Alumni Conversations and we are starting off with a bang. Want to know WHO well the Beam QUEEN of 2025 herself Helen HU! She returned to the NCAA after a year off and was perfect literally as well as collect some much deserved hardware and really it was about time HU DAT was all THAT in the eyes of the judges. We are going to have a FULL OUT breakdown of this last cinderella year and get her impressions from the 10.0’s to the championships to the Tatooe! We cover it all.
Buckeye Gymnastics played host to the 2025 American Classic, a qualifying competition for the upcoming HOPES Championships in Hoffman Estates, IL and the Xfinity US Championships in New Orleans. Region 5 had 9 athletes compete across the four sessions.
Qualifying scores and procedures for the Xfinity US Championships and HOPES Championships (click to drop down)
HOPES Championships– Top 18 All Around with minimum score 11-12 year olds- 43.5, 13-14 year olds- 45.00
US Championships– Juniors 49.00 Seniors 52.00 (or 3 event 39.6 and 2 event 26.9)
Izzy Stassi from Gym Xtreme finished 2nd in the senior all around with a 52.3, winning floor 13.1 and qualifying to the Xfinity Championships. Izzy’s double double tuck opening pass and new whip double back last pass were stunning. In the junior competition, Elaina Sliney from Cincinnati punched her ticket to Championships, tying for 3rd all around with a 50.45 as well as 3rd place tie on Floor with a 12.45 opening her routine with an impressive front layout front double full front tuck.
Legacy Elite Gymnastics had the only two region 5 athletes competing in the HOPES Classic with the goal of qualifying to the HOPES Championships held in conjunction with the upcoming US Classic. Both athletes finished in the top twelve and achieved the qualifying score to advance to the HOPES Championships
Claudia Lasak, a level 8 competitor during the 2025 season, scored a 45.6 and qualified to the biggest gymnastics competition of her young career. Just off her 14th place performance in her first Level 10 nationals, Agnes Song, finished 5th with a 47.05 and won beam 12.25 and will take her talents to the podium at next months HOPES Championships right in her backyard.
The stands at NOW Arena will be packed with Legacy Elite Fans cheering on their HOPES Duo.
photo courtesy of Legacy Elite- HOPES Championships qualifiers Claudia Lasak and Agnes Song
Notable Performances:
Kylie Smith from Cincinnati, already qualified to Championships in the junior division based on her international results during the season, competed 3 events including a 2nd place finish on bars 13.05. Kylie’s Jaeger release was very well performed, solid routine throughout ending with a nice layout full out.
Isla Lazzari from City Club competing in her first Classic competition finished 2nd on floor with a new upgraded front full step out through to a double back and nailed her final double pike to close out on a 12.55.
Other Highlights:
Carla Fronc from Palmers Gymnastics, 2025 Level 10 National Team Member, also competing her first classic competition upgraded her first tumbling pass on floor to a 2 1/2 front layout and debuted a new floor routine for the elite season. She also added a new combo to bars with her inbar 1/2 to endo 1/2 immediate Pak Salto.
Ansley Stevens from Cincinnati competed in her first classic competition after two seasons as a level 10 qualifying to nationals both years. Ansley’s beam in one of her best events nailing her BHS layout layout series which she fell on at Level 10 Nationals. This solid routine scored a 12.55 and finished 6th.
Kelise Woolford was the only athlete from the host club Buckeye to compete. She finished her competition on a high with a 7th place 12.05 on floor. Kelise’s strength on floor are her turns which give her a lot of her bonus including a Memmel turn.
Two Beam Skills– Isla Lazzari’s new double back dismount (double full during the level 10 season), and Izzy Stassi’s aerial layout layout series.
The American Classic kicked off the summer elite season and set the stage for more exciting gymnastics to come. Next stop Hoffman Estates, Illinois and the 2025 US Classic and HOPES Championships.
Highlights from our Region 5 Level 9’s at the 2025 Eastern Championships in Battle Creek, Michigan. The cheering, the camaraderie, the gymnastics and that’s just the 1/2 of it, check out behind the scenes look from Easterns.
