© Tom Theobald

PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 11, 2016 – Camilla Feeley of Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Laura Zeng of Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, won the U.S. clubs and ribbon titles, respectively, at the USA Gymnastics Championships at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. Senior elite competition wraps up tomorrow with the finals for the rhythmic gymnastics all-around; men’s and women’s trampoline, double mini-trampoline and tumbling; and acrobatic gymnastics at 6 p.m. The gymnasts who will represent the USA at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in rhythmic gymnastics (individual and group) and men’s and women’s trampoline will be determined Sunday night.

In clubs, Feeley tallied an 18.050 for the title. Zeng’s 17.850 placed her in second with Serena Lu of Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, claiming the bronze with a 17.350.

Zeng successfully defended her ribbon title, scoring a 17.900. Evita Griskenas of Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Lu tied for the bronze at 17.650.

Going into the all-around finals, Zeng topped the preliminary rankings at 72.700. Feeley‘s 70.450 has her second, with Lu rounding out the top three at 69.900.

In the women’s trampoline preliminary round, 2014 Youth Olympian Nicole Ahsinger of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, posted the top score of 96.410. Shaylee Dunavin and Dakota Earnest, both of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, were second (95.905) and third (95.600), respectively.

For men’s trampoline, 2012 Olympian Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, earned the top prelim score with a 106.400. Two-time Olympic alternate Logan Dooley of Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, was a close second at 105.635. Aliaksei Shostak of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, completes the top three with 105.635.

In acrobatic gymnastics, pairs and groups performed either their dynamic or balance routines. Sitting atop those scores are: women’s group, dynamic – Emma Bentov-Lagman, Cristin Connerney and Lilianna Dyer of Annapolis, Md./1st Class Gymnastics Inc.; women’s pair, balance – Maren Merwarth and Jessica Renteria of San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio; mixed pair, balance – Axel Osborne and Tiffani Williams of Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy; and men’s group, dynamic – Carson Breen, Cole Francis, Sinjin Nelson and Luke Schlabach of Gloveland, Fla./Defy Gravity.

Saturday’s Results

  • Rhythmic gymnastics (senior)
    • Top three senior rhythmic gymnasts, clubs final: 1, Camilla Feeley, Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, 18.050; 2, Laura Zeng, Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, 17.850; 3, Serena Lu, Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, 17.350.
    • Top three senior rhythmic gymnasts, ribbon, final: 1, Laura Zeng, Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, 17.900; 2(t), Evita Griskenas, Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Serena Lu, Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, 17.650.
    • Top three senior rhythmic gymnastics, preliminary all-round rankings: 1, Laura Zeng, Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, 72.700; 2, Camilla Feeley, Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, 70.450; 3, Serena Lu, Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, 69.900.
    • Qualifiers to all-around finals: Laura Zeng, Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center; Camilla Feeley, Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center; Serena Lu, Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora; Nastasya Generalova, Los Angeles, Calif./California Rhythms; Evita Griskenas, Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center; Aliya Protto, Culver City, Calif./California Rhythms; Ekatherina Kapitonova, Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora; Brigita Budginas, Agoura Hills, Calif./Burlo Gymnastics; Natalie Bourand, Burr Ridge, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center; Heather Chan, South Pasadena, Calif./Isadora; Nicole Sladkov, Vernon Hills, Ill./M & N Rhythmic Academy; Elena Shinohara, Suwanee, Ga./Rhythmic Brains.
  • Trampoline
    • Top three men’s qualification scores: 1, Steven Gluckstein, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy, 106.400; 2, Logan Dooley, Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, 105.635; 3, Aliaksei Shostak, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, 105.635.
    • Top three women’s qualification scores: 1, Nicole Ahsinger, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, 96.410; 2, Shaylee Dunavin, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, 95.905; 3, Dakota Earnest, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, 95.600
  • Qualifiers for finals
    • Men: Steven Gluckstein, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy; Logan Dooley, Lake Forest, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics, 105.635; Aliaksei Shostak, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express; Stewart Pritchard, Greensboro, N.C./Tumblebees Ultimate Gymnastics; Colin Duda, Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy; Cody Gesuelli, Middletown, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy; Casey Chandler, Reno, Nev./Legacy Trampoline and Tumbling; Nathan Donnelly, Kansas City, Mo./Xtreme Gymnastics and Trampoline.
    • Women: Nicole Ahsinger, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express; Shaylee Dunavin, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express; Dakota Earnest, Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express; Clare Johnson, Huntsville, Ala./The Matrix Gym Inc.; Hally Piontek, Warrensburg, Mo./Kansas City Trampoline Club; Shea Silhan, Morton, Texas/Air Extreme; Sarah Webster, Valley View, Texas/Trampoline and Tumbling Express; Courtney Walsh, Red Bank, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy.
  • Top senior acrobatic gymnastics scores
    • Women’s group, dynamic: 1, Emma Bentov-Lagman, Cristin Connerney and Lilianna Dyer, Annapolis, Md./1st Class Gymnastics Inc., 27.187; 2, Savannah Bentley, Hannah Silverman and Elise Stickley, Columbia, Md./Emilias Acro Gymnastics and Cheer, 25.520; 3, DeShay Eisenmenger, Calista Perkins and Natasha Villarreal, Boerne, Texas/Boerne Gymnastics Center, 22.500.
    • Women’s pair, balance: 1, Maren Merwarth and Jessica Renteria, San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio, 25.930
    • Mixed pair, balance: 1, Axel Osborne and Tiffani Williams, Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy, 28.690; 2, Aisley Boynton and Maxim Sedochenkoff, Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy, 27.637.
    • Men’s group, dynamic: 1, Carson Breen, Cole Francis, Sinjin Nelson and Luke Schlabach, Groveland, Fla./Defy Gravity, 24.600
  • Olympic qualification information: At the conclusion of the senior competition on June 12, USA Gymnastics will name the U.S. rhythmic group and the first three individual members of gymnastics’ 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, pending approval by the United States Olympic Committee: one for individual rhythmic gymnastics and two for trampoline (one male and one female). The U.S. group, which qualified to the Games outright, will identify its five-person roster.

Event information

  • Scheduled for June 8-13, the six-day championships includes both Junior Olympic and elite levels and is one of the national championships held annually by USA Gymnastics. In addition to the junior and senior elite competition at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively, June 10-12 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Junior Olympic sessions run all six days at the Rhode Island Convention Center.
  • U.S. titles. For the junior and senior elite levels for each discipline, the athletes are vying for national titles. Performances will determine berths on the junior and senior U.S. National Teams for rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline and tumbling. The Junior Olympic division has several different levels, and national titles will be awarded for each level and age group for each discipline. The Junior Olympic levels for each of the disciplines are: acrobatic gymnastics – Levels 6-10; rhythmic gymnastics – Levels 7-8; and trampoline and tumbling – Levels 8-10.
  • Elite schedule. The Dunkin’ Donuts Center competition schedule, which is outlined below and subject to change, has the junior and senior elites competing June 10-12. For a complete schedule, please visit USAGymChamps.com/schedule.
      Saturday, June 11

      • 1:30 p.m. – Rhythmic gymnastics, junior event/all-around finals and senior elite preliminaries/event finals
      • 6 p.m. – Acrobatic gymnastics, junior and senior elite preliminaries; Rhythmic gymnastics, senior elite all-around preliminaries/event finals; Trampoline, senior elite preliminaries

      Sunday, June 12

      • 1:30 p.m. – Rhythmic gymnastics, senior elite all-around finals (two events)
      • 6 p.m. – Acrobatic gymnastics, junior and senior elite finals; Rhythmic gymnastics, senior elite all-around finals; Trampoline, tumbling and double mini-trampoline, senior elite finals
  • Tickets. On sale now, evening session tickets at 6 p.m. at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center are: $25, June 11; and $30, June 12. The all-session pass, which grants access to all sessions at both venues, is $80. Tickets may be purchased at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center Box Office, ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. For the events at the Rhode Island Convention Center, a $30, single-day pass will be available onsite on competition days, and on June 10-12, the all-day pass also includes access to the junior elite sessions at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
  • Webcast. USA Gymnastics will provide live webcast coverage of the three evening sessions with expert analysis from acrobatic gymnastics World gold medalist Arthur Davis, six-time U.S. rhythmic gymnastics all-around champion Rebecca Sereda, and former trampoline and tumbling U.S. National Team member Peter Dodd. The webcasts of the senior elite competition will be available on the USA Gymnastics YouTube channel or USAGymChamps.com/live Friday and Saturday from 6-9 p.m. ET. Former NCAA and Big Ten gymnastics champion Evan Heiter will join Davis, Sereda and Dodd as the host. The webcasts will be available worldwide free of charge on USAGymChamps.com/live.
  • Local partners. The local partners for the event are the Rhode Island Sports Commission and the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority.

About the disciplines

Acrobatic gymnastics combines the beauty of dance with the strength and agility of acrobatics. Routines are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling, and partner skills. At the elite level, each pair or group performs a balance, dynamic and combined routine. Pyramids and partner holds characterize the balance routine, while synchronized tumbling and intricate flight elements define the dynamic exercise. An acrobatic gymnastics pair consists of a base and a top. A women’s group is comprised of three athletes – a base, middle and top partner – while a men’s group has four athletes, a base, two middle partners and one top partner.

Rhythmic gymnastics is characterized by grace, beauty and elegance combined with dance and acrobatic elements, while working with ribbons, balls, hoops, ropes and clubs in a choreographed routine to music. The choreography must cover the entire floor and contain a balance of jumps, leaps, pivots, balances and flexibility movements. Only four of the apparatus are competed each quad, and the four for 2016 are hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon for seniors and hoop, ball, clubs and rope for juniors. Each movement involves a high degree of athletic skill. Physical abilities needed by a rhythmic gymnast include strength, power, flexibility, agility, dexterity, endurance and hand-eye coordination.

Trampoline events involve athletes using trampolines that can propel them up to 30 feet in the air, during which they can perform double and triple twisting somersaults. Tumbling utilizes elevated rod-floor runways that enable athletes to jump at heights more than 10 feet and execute a variety of acrobatic maneuvers. For the double-mini competition, the athlete makes a short run, leaps onto a small two-level trampoline, performs an aerial maneuver and dismounts onto a landing mat. Trampoline was added to the Olympic Games in 2000, and at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the USA had its first athlete in history advance to the finals.

Background information

 

  • Rhode Island Sports Commission. The Rhode Island Sports Commission is a division of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau whose mission is to enrich the Rhode Island economy and community through the attraction, promotion and development of sporting events and associated meetings. For more information, visit GoSportsRI.com.

  • Rhode Island Convention Center Authority. Located in the heart of downtown Providence, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority operates the Rhode Island Convention & Entertainment Complex, which includes the Rhode Island Convention Center (RICC), two parking garages, Dunkin’ Donuts Center (DDC), and Veterans Memorial Auditorium (The Vets). The Authority, governed by an eleven-member board of commissioners, works with several marketing partners to book its facilities, including SMG, which manages the DDC and RICC, Professional Facilities Management (PFM), which manages The Vets, and the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB).