Region 5 is making their move into 2019. Check out some of the new skills being done from our gymnasts around the Region. If you want your upgrades to be included in future Making Your Move posts upload your video to your Instagram page (must be public or put up on gym IG) and tag us @region5gyminsider. #R5MakingMovesMonday
Jazlynn Chism (Midwest Elite) Toe Handstand Maloney Combo
What do you call a competition with the former World and current Olympic champion along with the current World All Around Champion? A show you couldn’t miss….
The energy in Schottenstein Center was already high during warm-ups as the crowd filed in to watch the return to competition of Simone Biles. Though the 6,190 spectators strong let a big roar out for Simone when she was introduced, the loudest applause came for the current world champ Morgan Hurd. Our Region 5 athletes had a pretty large cheering section as the meet was held in the city (or close to) where Shania Adams and Shilese Jones train hailing from Buckeye Gymnastics and Future Gymnastics respectively.
The first rotation found Shania up first on bars, the event she had some struggles on in podium training but rocked her set including that Maloney Pak combo that gave her problems for a 13.75. She finished the routine and came off the podium to a huge hug from coach Kittia Carpenter. Meanwhile over at beam Shilese nailed her standing arabian that lands like a dart into the beam. She finished up the near wobble free set with a stuck two backhandsprings into a double back and a 13.2. Shilese began on beam at American Classic and fell so she was happy to get that one done.
video by: USA Gymnastics
In rotation two Shilese used her power (walks into a huge double double) and clean landings on her double arabian and full in to score a solid 13.3. Her coach Christian was clapping with excitement on every landing. Shania began her beam routine as she always does with near perfect triple to double wolf squat turns but unfortunately was off on her layout layout series and though tried to surf save it came off. She was a bit off on her double full dismount and scored a 12.45. The standings after the midpoint of the meet had Shilese in 10th and Shania in 13th (remember both had already qualified to championships).
As she mentioned in her interview, Shania has been nursing a back injury and watered down some of her routines at American Classic. Here at US Classic, she put back in her double arabian to stag jump but was slightly off to side and stepped out of bounds. She was a little off on her 2 1/2 front tuck stepping out of bounds again but finished with a strong double tuck for a 12.85. Though her tumbling was a bit off today, her performance quality of her routine was very nice and of course her turns including the triple Memmel turn at the beginning (not easy at all) stand out everytime. Shilese launched a 14.45 double twisting Yurchenko into the air and landing back on earth in 5th place after 3 events.
video by: USA Gymnastics
In the final rotation Shania went early in the rotation and attempted her double twisting Yurchenko but was a quarter short landing in a deep squat and falling onto the mat. She only competed a full in Utah at American Classic so it was good for her to put it out on the competition floor for experience before nationals. Shania was able to put in all her upgraded routines and will now be looking to polish them up before nationals in Boston.
Shilese went last in the final rotation just as Simone was wrapping up a 15.2 on balance beam. However Shilese was on fire swinging her way to a 13.85 on bars and 4th place in the all around with a 54.9. This session was filled with everything you could imagine… comebacks, double twisting double layouts here and there, new upgrades all around the arena and most of all the anticipation of a great competition in Boston 3 weeks from now.
Friday July 27 – 8 a.m. ET – Junior podium training
Friday July 27 – 10 a.m. ET – Senior podium training
Friday, July 27: Hopes Championships – 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, July 28: Junior Women’s competition – 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, July 28: Senior Women’s competition – 7:30 p.m. ET
Region 5 Insider will be onsite covering all the action. Follow along all weekend on our coverage page sponsored by Tumbl Trak. Here is a preview of our Region 5 athletes competing this weekend.
For HOPE’s it’s championship time, but for many of the junior and senior elites its all or nothing. This weekend the GK US Classics/HOPES Championships take place at the Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Though there will be anticipation and excitement in the arena for the return of 2016 Olympic All Around Champion Simone Biles, for many of the athletes in the junior and senior sessions this competition is either a tune up for nationals or the last opportunity to qualify to the USA National Championships in Boston.
Kicking off the weekend will be the HOPE’s Championships, final competition of the season which for many included a full Junior Olympic (level 8,9 or10) season as well. For some, this will be the first experience competing on a podium. Sydney Jelen of Legacy Elite is our regions only qualifier for this session and will be competing in her second HOPEs Championships. As we have documented before, Sydney competed is this competition back in 2016 and was the 2018 Junior A JO National Bars champion. Sydney is looking to showcase a few upgrades in her routines this weekend and hopes to finish on the podium in multiple events. Check out our R5 Spotlight on Sydney posted this week.
In the Junior Elite session JPAC’s Elizabeth Gantner is competing in her first US Classic but 2nd classic for the newly qualified elite. Liz is looking to improve upon her performance at the American Classic in Utah where she struggled a bit. Liz achieved her USA Championships qualifying score at the elite qualifier earlier in the season which unfortunately didn’t count but shows her potential to meet the score to qualify to her first elite national championships. She added a new combo on bars, Toe Blind 1/1 to Pak at the American Classic but missed it during the competition and will be looking to rock that this weekend. Check out that combo and more in our R5 Spotlight with Liz. (video)
Cincinnati’s Lilly Lippeatt, current junior elite national team member, has scratched from this weekends meet due to a glute muscle injury. Lilly is hoping to be ready to compete in Boston in 3 weeks. Here is Lilly on bars at the Pacific Rim Championships verification. Lilly was USA’s alternate for these Championships.
video from USA Gymnastics
In the senior session, all eyes of course will be on Simone’s return (though probably will not be doing all around this weekend), however Region 5 has two senior elites who are coming off a high from their performance at the American Classic and will compete in front of hometown fans. Shilese Jones from Future Gymnastics won the American Classic and is already qualified to championships. She will be looking to improve on her beam routine as she fell at the American Classic. She has posted some upgrades on Instagram so it will be interested to see if she adds any upgrades this weekend. (video)
Shania Adams from Buckeye, 2nd at American Classic and qualified to championships as well, has been dealing with a back injury this year and competed some watered down routines at classics earlier this month. Shania will possibly be upgrading all of her routines at classics this weekend in preparation for nationals. (video)
Absent from this weekends meet will be 2017 Jesolo junior all around champion Gabby Perea from Legacy Elite. Gabby who has already qualified to championships at camp this year and is recovering from a lower leg injury. Gabby and her coaches are unsure if she will be back in time to compete in Boston but hopefully will be ready for world selection camp. Here is a look at Gabby’s 6.5 bars start value routine from day 2 of the 2017 P&G Championships.
