HOFFMAN ESTATES, July 29, 2017 – Alyona Shchennikova of Evergreen, Colo./5280 Gymnastics, and Emma Malabuyo of Flower Mound, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, won the senior and junior all-around titles, respectively, at the 2017 U.S. Classic at Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The U.S. Classic was the final opportunity for female gymnasts to qualify for the 2017 P&G Championships, USA Gymnastics’ national championships, scheduled for Aug. 17-20 in Anaheim, Calif.
A total of six seniors and seven juniors qualified for the P&G Championships at the U. S. Classic. Many athletes who have already qualified for the P&G Championships will use the U.S. Classic as a final tune-up for the competition in Anaheim.
Seniors who qualified for the P&G Championships, based on their performances, are: Luisa Blanco of Little Elm, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics; Frida Esparza of Pittsburg, Calif./Head Over Heels; Emily Gaskins of Coral Springs, Fla./Cincinnati Gymnastics; Marissa Oakley of Huntersville, N.C./Everest Gymnastics; Deanne Soza of Coppell, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics; and Kalyany Steele of Colorado Springs, Colo./Colorado Aerials Gymnastics Center.
Seven juniors qualified for the P&G Championships based on their performances at the U.S. Classic: Sydney Barros of Woodstock, Ga./Texas Dreams Gymnastics; Addison Fatta of Wrightsville, Pa./Prestige Gymnastics; Hannah Hagle of Chireno, Texas/Texas East Gymnastics; Selena Harris of Henderson, Nev./Gymcats Gymnastics; Jay Jay Marshall of Greeley, Colo./TIGAR; Deiah-Marie Moody of Plano, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics; and Abigail Scanlon of Sterling, Va./Capital Gymnastics National Training Center.
Shchennikova won the senior all-around gold by earning a 54.950 total. Abby Paulson of Coon Rapids, Minn./Twin City Twisters, claimed the silver with a 53.100. Steele and Blanco tied for the bronze at 52.900. The senior event titlists were: Jade Carey of Phoenix, Ariz./Oasis Gymnastics, vault (14.475) and floor exercise (13.950); and Ragan Smith of Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, uneven bars (14.550) and balance beam (15.350).
In the junior all-around, Malabuyo won the title with a 56.750. Maile O’Keefe of Las Vegas, Nev./Salcianu Elite Academy of Gymnastics, took second by posting a 54.700. Grace McCallum of Isanti, Minn./Twin City Twisters, rounded out the top with a 54.150. The junior event champions were: McCallum, vault (14.650); Gabby Perea of Geneva, Ill./Legacy Elite, uneven bars (14.500); Adeline Kenlin of Iowa City, Iowa/IGN, balance beam (14.850); and Malabuyo, floor exercise (14.300).
Shchennikova performed a double-twisting Yurchenko on vault for a 14.350. On the uneven bars, she opened with an in-bar full pirouette, in-bar Shaposhnikova to Tkatchev sequence. She dismounted with a double layout for a 14.500. She posted a 12.850 on the balance beam. Ending on the floor exercise, she earned a 13.250 after mounting with a piked full-in.
Paulson earned her best score of the day on the balance beam with a 13.500. She vaulted a Yurchenko full for a 13.000. On the uneven bars, she performed a toe-on, half pirouette to a piked Jaeger and dismounted with a double front and scored 13.350. She earned a 13.250 on the floor exercise.
Steele and Blanco tied for third place. Steele’s best mark, a 14.250, came on the vault where she performed a Yurchenko double twist. Blanco’s top score was a 14.300 on the balance beam.
Carey won the vault title with a 14.475 average score. She performed a Tsukahara double twist and an Amanar. She also picked up the title on the floor with a 13.950, tumbling a tucked double-double and a full-twisting double layout to open. Smith was the champion on the uneven bars with a 14.550 and balance beam, where she earned a 15.350. Smith debuted new elements and combinations to take the uneven bars crown, including a stalder piked Tkatchev and a Ricna to Pak salto. On the balance beam, she performed a back handspring to two-foot layout and a standing full.
The P&G Championships is the national championships for USA Gymnastics and determines the U.S. champions and the U.S. National Team. The 2017 P&G Championships are scheduled for Aug. 17-20 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. For more information, go to pgchamps.com.
Background information
