HEY Press Play: 2023 DEV Nationals- Seniors

May 31, 2023

The seniors from Region 5 accounted for the majority of our success at DEV Nationals in 2023.

All three national age group team titles were won by the seniors. Region 5’s only National AA title and 6 of 7 national event titles were won by our seniors.

We have already featured a few stand out routines on our Instagram from our senior athletes but there were quite a few that haven’t been mentioned that we want to highlight. Many of these athletes competed their last routines for Region 5 and their clubs, and will now take their talents to the NCAA.

Here are 10 routines that you will want to PRESS PLAY and watch from our seniors at the 2023 Level 10 DEV Nationals.

Jenna Olshefski, Universal Beam 9.625

Jenna’s beam has always been a favorite of mine not only because she is so consistent but her skill choices are different then the rest. She has one of those unique flight series that well is truly only hers the gainer layout immediate back handspring. I will be very surprised if this routine isn’t in the Minnesota beam line-up in 2024. This routine finished 4th in Senior E.

Jersey Shannon, Phenom Beam 9.625

Jersey is a very aggressive beam worker who finds a way to come up with the solid landings on all her skills. She rocked this final club routine for a 5th place finish in Senior F. Central Michigan will have some line-up spots to fill on beam in 2024 and Jersey will be ready to fill that need.

Katie Harper, Universal Bars 9.775

Katie always has my vote for a bar routine to watch because of her Gienger (one of my releases on high bar…. so) and dismount. This routine will fit right into the NC State bar line up in 2024 and give the college gym fans another blind 1/1 to double layout to rave over. This routine finished 5th in Senior F.

Cady Duplissis, Champion USA Vault 9.8

Cady might be on the top of the list in Region 5 for the most skills upgraded to her routines in 2023. This Yurchenko 1 1/2 has continued to improve as the year progressed. This wasn’t her best landing but the vault was very well performed. Michigan State is eagerly waiting in the wings for this vault and to be honest all events. Cady will represent Region 5 for one more year. This vault finished 6th in Senior C.

Marisa Fisher, Phenom Bars 9.75

Marisa is one of those gymnasts that hasn’t even come close to reaching her full potential yet. She competed on bars at the 2022 DEV National Wild Card session but qualified for her first Level 10 Nationals in her senior year. I love her bars because she does an actually Shaposh (not a Maloney that everyone calls a Shaposh). Her bar swing is always one you hold your breath while watching as she takes it right to the edge ( ie. grip dowel). Marisa will be headed to Minnesota and I think you will see this routine and her floor in the gopher line-up next season. This routine finished 6th in Senior E.

JO JO Valahovic, Gym World Floor 9.65

JO JO has been on the Level 10 National scene for many years but this was by far her best overall performance. She has one of the best Pac saltos on bars you will see. However her floor is one event that always stands out. With this huge full in and front to double back last pass, JO JO is ready for the NCAA stage. North Carolina though, will have to wait one more year. This routine finished 5th in Senior C.

Lucie Kirchner, JPAC Beam 9.65

Lucie bounced back from her knee injury at the 2022 DEV Nationals like the champ she is. She competes a Yurchenko 1 1/2 on vault but it is beam that she always seems right at home. She has added a Brani (the aerial to two feet) to her routine and always ends with a beautiful double full. Michigan will be looking to fill line-up spots in 2025 and this routine could be the answer. This routine finished 5th in Senior C

Samantha Macasu, Legacy Elite Beam 9.65

If your last name is Macasu, you know your way around the events that begin with the letter B (sister Stephanie competes for Towson)! Sammy is the 2023 DEV National Bars Champ but her beam is also eye catching. Though this routine isn’t flashy, its her super aggressive style that catches the eye and attacks every landing for minimal to no deduction. I am sure San Jose State will be very excited to have her in 2025. This routine finished 5th in Senior C.

Olivia Coppola, Cincinnati Floor 9.65

Olivia has become a very strong all around gymnast. However her floor towers (not because she is tall) over the competition. I watch her routine every time waiting for her 2 1/2 front tuck. All I have to say is that if that pass is taken out of her routine next year at Illinois, I will be making a personal fan call to Natalie. This routine finished 7th in Senior E

Makayla Tucker, DeVeaus Bars 9.775

Another one who makes her height an advantage is Makayla. She won vault at nationals this year with a 9.95 her stuck Yurchenko 1 1/2 and tied for first on floor. Bars, however, is the place that her height makes it that more impressive. I watch her bars trying to figure out how she swings with the ease she does very similar to Gabi Stephens who will be a teammate of hers when Makayla joins the Spartans this fall. This routine finished 5th in Senior F.

Hey Press Play: 2023 DEV Nationals- Juniors

Jason MacDonald

May 24, 2023

Sixty champions (4 events and all around in 12 age groups) are awarded gold medals each year at DEV Nationals. The winning routines at nationals are almost always eye catching or jaw dropping routines that are well deserved of the recognition.

The top 10 athletes are awarded medals for their performances on each event and the all around but many of these performances don’t get the attention they deserve.

Oh and what about those routines that were really good just not top 10 worthy (from the judges view) on that day?

Well we have 11 routines that you will want to PRESS PLAY and watch from our juniors at the 2023 Level 10 DEV Nationals.

Autumn Garden, Gym Xtreme, Vault 9.725

The handspring front vaults are certainly making a comeback. Autumn’s handspring pike front 1/2 is very well executed and if she can find the landing with a bit more control this vault will be big score. This finished 4th in Junior F.

Avery Schlichting, Energym– Bars 9.7

It’s hard on bars to separate yourself as so many do the bar to bar release combos for bonus. Avery has a nice rhythm and dynamics to her swing and a nice 1/2 in 1/2 out dismount. This routine finished 5th in Junior B.

Katherine Shackelford, Cincinnati Bars 9.7

Kit has the only bar routine in this post that has a major release with a nice pike Jaeger. Her Pac Salto has nice amplitude though she catches this one a bit close. She unfortunately had to repeat the cast pirouette or this would have broken the top 10 for sure. She finished 11th in Junior F.

Bailee Norris, Flytz Floor 9.625

Bailee upgraded her first pass to a front double full for the championship portion of the season and it has served her well. She performs her routine with good extension and presentation and has pretty nice execution throughout the routine. This routine finished 10th in Junior D.

Railey Jackson, GymNasti Bars 9.75

Railey Jackson is a bit of an underrated bar worker even though she won bars at nationals last year. She added in the Maloney 1/2 (Van Leeuwen) for nationals and performed it well. She got hung up on her dismount a bit causing a bit of a fight for the landing. She finished 7th (one tenth more she would have been top 3) in Junior F.

Olivia Lang, Cincinnati Beam 9.575

Olivia’s beam is also very underrated. This routine which includes a absolutely beautiful triple flight series was super solid from start to finish. This routine finished 7th in Junior D just .125 away from taking home a national title.

Addie Sarisky, Olympic Dreams Bars 9.7

Addie’s bars are always one of my favorites to watch because she really flys and her swing is so dynamic. OH and her form!!! This routine unfortunately had an overcooked pirouette and dismount or it would have been one of the top routines in the age group. She has scored a 10 on this event. She finished 12th in Junior D (ironically the national champion did score a 10).

Quinn Harris, Cincinnati Bars 9.625

Quinn does one of my favorite skills on bars, the Weiler kip, in her HOPES routine, but plays it a bit safe in her level 10 routine. However this routine was very well performed going after all the handstands and rocking her double back dismount. This routine finished 6th in Junior A.

Sadie Goldberg, Gym Xtreme Floor 9.6

Sadie added a full in to her first pass for nationals and executed it well. She keeps her head up throughout her routine and you can tell she is in that elite transition phase. The 2 1/2 in her last pass was also very nicely performed. This routine finished 6th in Junior A.

Jasmine Hou, Legacy Elite Beam 9.5

Beam is where Jasmine usually shines the most as she is very consistent from meet to meet. She makes quick adjustments minimizing deductions. Though this wasn’t her best routine I have seen her do, she attacked and hit it to posed a solid counting score for Region 5. She finished 7th in Junior E.

Isabel Biro, Queen City Bars 9.7

Izzy’s also swings very nice bars and is one of her consistently highest scoring events. Though this wasn’t her best routine she did improve upon her finish from a year ago and break into the top 10 finishing 10th in Junior E.

Up Next: Seniors

2023 Dev Nationals: The All Star Session (Gallery)

Kim Dowis

May 20, 2023

What started out in 2022 as the Wild Card session has transformed into the All Star Session. What also started out as a competition of specialists and all-arounders from across the country competing against one another has turned into the Level 10 version of Level 9 Eastern/Westerns with these event specialists and All Star all-arounders competing only against those from the East (Regions 5,6,7,8) or the West (Regions 1,2,3,4), dividing the gym down the middle like the Mighty Mississippi divides the country. It was a very interesting event for all and we were there bringing you two fantastic galleries of the event to check out!

Again a very special & huge THANK YOU to Victoria Shannon (Parent of Phenom Gymnast Jersey Shannon) for sharing her incredible photos with us from the All-Star Session. Check out her Gallery Below. Photos on our IG or FB provided by Victoria will be marked with a VS.

2023 DEV Nationals: Travel, Training & The Opening Ceremonies (Gallery)

Kim Dowis

May 18, 2023

This past weekend the best of the best in the US met in OKC to vie for the SUPER TEAM Title and we were there…kind of-ish. Check out our multiple galleries from the weekend from Travel to Training, from the All-Star Session to the incredible Senior F session. A huge thank you to all the athletes, coaches, teammates, parents, friends & families who have shared videos, photos, clips & snapshots to help round out these galleries with things with might have missed.

A special & huge THANK YOU to Victoria Shannon (Parent of Phenom Gymnast Jersey Shannon) for sharing her incredible photos with us on Training day. Check out her Gallery Below.