We have another awesome Region 5 Alum guest for you today who is just missing the Lion because she has the bears and now the tigers OH MY! She has one of the biggest Jaegers in the uneven bar business oh and a personality that’s just as big and we are all about it! Our guest today is Ella Cesario and we will take her back to her Region 5 days, her knee injury that took her out of her senior year of high school and freshman year at Cal, the highs and lows at Cal and of course whats next at Clemson.
The Insider filmed with CITY Club and owner Natalia Yurchenko for the first time over the summer. This workout was filmed in July one week before CITY elite Isla Lazzari competed at the US Classic. CITY doesn’t currently have pits in the facility they are in so they use one of the Chicago park district gyms to do the necessary foam pit training. In this part 1 of 2 full workouts you will see training on vault and tumbling. CITY has two athletes who are elites Isla Lazzari and Natalia Pudulko who competes for Poland and competed in the European Championships earlier this year. You will get to see some upgrade training on both vault and tumbling from the two elites as well as CITY’s new two level 10’s one of which is Phoenix Rogers, 2025 L9 Easterns qualifier.
We will have a bonus video of some beam and pit bar dismounts from this workout for our members.
“Full Circle Moment”- Dominique Moceanu talked to the Insider at the conclusion of the 2025 Xfinity Championships 30 Years after winning the 1995 US National Title at age 13 in New Orleans. She reflects back on that national title, her love for coaching her athletes now and what it meant to be back in the city she won her first and only national all around title. Dom owns her own gym in Ohio and has coached athletes at level 9 and 10 regionals and nationals.
Region 5 had two athletes compete on day 2 of the 2025 Xfinity US Championships. In the Junior Session, Elaina Sliney from Cincinnati improved her all around score by almost a point scoring a 49.55 and taking home a 5th place finish on vault due in part to her beautiful Yurchenko Full for a 13.3 in day 2.
I wasn’t myself on Day 1, I have nothing to lose so I just went out there was myself and had so much fun
Elaina Sliney, Cincinnati after Day 2
Elaina Sliney, Cincinnati competes vault on day 2 of the 2025 Xfinity US Championships
Izzy Stassi from Gym Xtreme didn’t have the start she would have liked on day 2 after a 53.3 on day 1. The first half of day 2 had some struggles but the second half was more like Izzy. She improved her floor score by .1 for a 13.3 and 8th place finish on the event combined from both days. Her vaults on day 2 were on point bingo(ing) her first vault score from the first day 13.55 but then blasting a nice 1/2 on front pike vault for a 13.45 to place 3rd on the event.
I can’t change what happened today, all I can do is try to be positive moving forward. There is a lot to be proud of with multiple scores above 13.0
Izzy Stassi, Gym Xtreme after Day 2
Izzy Stassi, Gym Xtreme full out bars dismount on day 2 of 2025 Xfinity US Championships
For a full breakdown of day 2 click text below.
Smoothie King Center….. Final Day of the 2025 Xfinity US Championships
For the first time, that I have experienced at least, there was a high school marching band lead off the senior session! Interesting to watch them march between the podiums and the floor railings but SO New Orleans!!!
Though the arena wasn’t filled with fans, those who attended showed their knowledge and excitement for all the athletes especially when Tiana Sumanasekera did her double layout to split jump that might have hit the Smoothie King rafters.
Region 5 had three athletes compete on day 1 but Kylie Smith from Cincinnati headed home after day 1 to prepare for the upcoming Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay set to start early next week. Her teammate Elaina Sliney remained in New Orleans to compete in day 2 of her first US Championships.
Elaina struggled on day 2 on bars peeling off after her Maloney 1/2 release from low to high. However on day 2 nailed her bars routine improving her score by over a point. She moved over to beam and nailed her two BHS layout flight series but under rotated her front aerial sitting down on the beam then rolling off. She finished with a strong double full dismount.
In the 3rd rotation, though the score wasn’t better, Elaina floor appeared to be better. Though she was still flying out of her first pass the front layout front double the rest of the routine was very well executed and her last double pike actually over rotated a bit which was short on day 1. Her last event vault was her top scoring event of the day with a 13.3 for a very nice Yurchenko full and a 5th place finish on the event.
Izzy Stassi from Gym Xtreme came into day 2 ranked 8th in the all around after a 53.3 performance in day 1. However she struggled on her Weiler at the beginning then everything else was rushed trying to almost catch up. She didn’t connect Ray to Pak then grip slipped when kipping out of Pac. She finished strong with Maloney 1/2 and added back her layout full out which she only competed a double layout in day 1.
Her beam mount has been so consistent including Classics but unfortunately was leaning to the left as her feet hit the beam and couldn’t save it. Her aerial layout step out was nice (which is a downgrade from Classics), and very nice double back dismount but just appeared to be a bit hesitant after the fall rather then her normally aggressive work.
Her floor and vault, however were the highlights of her competition on both days. Izzy placed 8th on floor improving her execution score by .2 with a very nice double double to open and finishing with a very strong whip double back. She has improved a lot on her presentation and skill level over the last year and has more still to come. As Elaina did in the junior competition, Izzy finished her meet off on vault with two very strong vaults only one of 3 athletes to compete two vaults in the competition. Though she didn’t do the 1/2 twist on her second vault either day of competition, her day 2 1 half on pike front off vault was very nicely executed for a 13.45.
