HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., July 27, 2013 – Bailie Key of Montgomery, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, won the junior all-around title at the 2013 Secret U.S. Classic at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Amelia Hundley of Hamilton, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, and Key’s teammate Veronica Hults of Coppell, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, were second and third, respectively. The one-day event is the final women’s qualifier for the 2013 P&G Gymnastics Championships, and the gymnasts are either looking to secure a spot at the national championships or using it as a tune-up. The senior competition begins at 6 p.m.
Key began on floor, where she used an Arabian double front to stag jump, a one-and-a-half twist through to a triple full, a front double full, and a double-pike dismount for a score of 14.000 points. On vault, she competed a high double-twisting Yurchenko for 15.000 points, which tied for the third highest vault score. Key then moved to the uneven bars, where her precise pirouetting work and a stuck full-twisting double tuck earned her 14.250 points. Finishing on balance beam, Key earned the second highest beam score of the junior competition, 15.000, for a solid set that included two flip flops to a two-footed layout and a beautiful switch ring leap.
Hundley’s consistent performance, scoring 14.400 points or higher on each event, helped her to a second-place finish and a 57.950 total. She finished second on bars, using an Endo-half, Stalder full, Maloney combination, a Ricna and a full-twisting double tuck dismount for 14.400 points. Hundley was third on floor for an energetic routine that included a double layout (14.450). Third in the all-around, Hults earned the day’s top score on uneven bars, 14.550 points, for an intricate routine that included a Stalder full, Stalder-Shaposhnikova sequence, and strong pirouetting work.
Individual event champions included Nia Dennis of Westerville, Ohio/Buckeye Gymnastics, on vault; Hults on uneven bars; Norah Flatley of Cumming, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics, on beam; and Lauren Hernandez of Old Bridge, N.J./Monmouth Gymnastics, on floor.
The Secret U.S. Classic served as the final qualifier to the P&G Gymnastics Championships. Based on their scores today, four gymnasts who had not previously qualified were added to the roster for the P&G Championships, where they will compete for berths onto the U.S. National Team. They are Vanasia Bradley of Lincoln Park, Mich./Splitz Gymnastics; Nadia Cho of Plano, Texas/WOGA; Christina Desiderio of Hackettstown, N.J./Parkettes Gymnastics; and Sydney Johnson-Scharpf of Groveland, Fla./Brandy Johnson’s Global Gymnastics.
The 2013 P&G Gymnastics Championships, scheduled for Aug. 15-18 in Hartford, Conn., is USA Gymnastics’ national championships and determines U.S. champions and national team members. For more information, go to pgchamps.com.
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