Cindy Lu and Aliya Protto
© Grace Chiu

INDIANAPOLIS, June 19, 2014 — Eleven current junior and senior national team members headline the field of 126 competitors at the 2014 USA Rhythmic Gymnastics National Qualifier, scheduled for June 21-22 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The 2013 U.S senior all-around bronze-medalist Cindy Lu of Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, and 2014 Pacific Rim team and hoop gold-medalist Aliya Protto of Culver City, Calif./California Rhythms, headline the senior field. 2014 Junior Pan American Championships team gold-medalists Camilla Feeley of Lincolnshire, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Nastasya Generalova of Los Angeles/California Rhythms, lead the junior field. The two-day event showcases some of the USA’s top rhythmic gymnasts vying for a berth to the USA Gymnastics Championships July 15-19 in Louisville, Ky.

Also competing at the National Qualifier are Serena Lu of Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, Brigita Budginas of Agoura Hills, Calif./Burlo Gymnastics, Gabrielle Lowenstein of Huntington Beach, Calif./Eurogymnastics, and Ekatherina Kapitonova of Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, — all of whom won international medals this spring.

In Lake Placid, the event gets underway Saturday with the first half of competition starting at 10 a.m. On Sunday, the competition concludes with the remaining two apparatus (clubs, ribbon) starting at 9 a.m. Tickets are $10 per day for adults, and $5 for children under 10. Tickets are available on competition days at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

A complete list of participants is included below.

The National Qualifier is open to all Level 9 and 10 athletes in the Hopes, junior and senior age divisions. The top 23 junior and Hopes competitors qualify to the USA Gymnastics Championships and join Youth Olympic Games participant Laura Zeng of Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Junior Pan American Championships silver-medalist Nicole Kaloyony of Woodbridge, Va./Gymnastics World, who have already qualified. The top 17 seniors at the national qualifier will continue on to the national championships, joining World all-around finalists Jazzy Kerber of Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Rebecca Sereda of Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, as well as 2014 Pacific Rim Championship team gold-medalist Valeriya Sharipova of Livingston, N.J./unaffiliated.

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 and balances. Only four of the apparatus are competed each quad, and the four for 2016 are hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. 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.

2014 2014 USA Rhythmic Gymnastics National Qualifier field roster
(by level; state; name, hometown, state/club)

Level 10

    California
    Sofya Akimova, San Diego, Calif./San Diego Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy
    Brigita Budginas, Agoura Hills, Calif./Platinum Gymnastics Academy
    Heather Chan, South Pasadena, Calif./Platinum Gymnastics Academy
    Andria Gao, San Diego, Calif./Magdalena Ecke YMCA
    Nastasya Generalova, Los Angeles, Calif./California Rhythms
    Catherine Gonzales, Long Beach, Calif./Eurogymnastics
    Danielle Greenberg, San Francisco, Calif./Community Youth Center
    Anfisa Kupriyanova, Pleasant Hills, Calif./Community Youth Center
    Gabrielle Lowenstein, Huntington Beach, Calif./Eurogymnastics
    Elizabeth Petrosyan, Los Angeles, Calif./Los Angeles School of Gymnastics
    Aliya Protto, Culver City, Calif./California Rhythms

    Florida
    Liana Cliff, Jacksonville, Fla./World Rhythmics
    Claudia Mandado, Sunny isles beach, Fla./Miami Gymnastics and Dance Academy
    Pamela Tang, Valrico, Fla./Tampa Bay Rhythmics

    Georgia
    Aleksandra Ivanova, Marietta, Ga./Golden Ribbon Rhythmic Gymnastics Center

    Illinois
    Natalie Bourand, Burr Ridge, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
    Masha Chaadayev, Vernon Hills, Ill./M & N Rhythmic Academy
    Ugne Dragunas, Darien, Ill./Illinois Rhythmics Gymnastics Center
    Camilla Feeley, Lincolnshire, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
    Evita Griskenas, Orland Park, Ill./Illinois Rhythmics Gymnastics Center
    Alexandra Ladan, Glenview, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
    Kristen Shaldybin, Chicago, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center

    Maryland
    Masha Khmelniker, Ashton, Md./Capital Rhythmics
    Mia Shparaga, Reisterstown, Md./Capital Rhythmics

    Massachusetts
    Regina Yu, Wayland, Mass./New England Sports Academy
    Anya Zhang, Belmont, Mass./Rhythmic Dreams

    Minnesota
    Julia Garbuz, Eden Prairie, Minn./NorthWest Rhythmic LLC
    Ariella Kudishevich, Eden Prairie, Minn./IGM Gymnastics
    Sophia Popova, Minneapolis, Minn./Twin Cities Rhythmic

    New Jersey
    Nikita Tang, Basking Ridge, N.J./Isadora

    New York
    Ekatherina Kapitonova, Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora
    Cindy Lu, Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora
    Serena Lu, Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora
    Allyson Roytburd, Brooklyn, N.Y./Isadora
    Ronit Shamuilov, Brooklyn, N.Y./Isadora
    Hannah Walter, Angola, N.Y./Gymnastics Unlimited-Orchard Park

    Pennsylvania
    Valentina Cherepanova, Philadelphia, Pa./Iliana Rhythmic Gymnastics
    Ariel Goldberg, Southampton, Pa./Philadelphia Rhythmic Academy
    Ekaterina Komarova, Holland, Pa./Philadelphia Rhythmic Academy
    Michelle Kriner, Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Iliana Rhythmic Gymnastics

    Virginia
    Evgeniya Chernukhina, Manassas, Va./Iliana Rhythmic Gymnastics

Level 9

    California
    Tatiana Abeshyan, North Hollywood, Calif./California Springs School of Rhythmic Gymnastics
    Dasha Baltovick, RCHO Santa Fe, Calif./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
    Natalie Bazikyan, Glendale, Calif./Rhythmic Olympica
    Gurmukhi Bevli, Bellflower, Calif./Eurogymnastics
    Leah Bronstein, Agoura Hills, Calif./Burlo Gymnastics
    Eliza Cohen, Los Angeles, Calif./California Rhythms
    Kristina Elkin, Tarzana, Calif./California Rhythms
    Sabrina Flora, Corona, Calif./Eurogymnastics
    Isabella Franco, Los Angeles, Calif./Los Angeles School of Gymnastics
    Rachel Jahr, Beverly Hills, Calif./Los Angeles School of Gymnastics
    Elizabeth Khapsalis, Lake Balboa, Calif./California Rhythms
    Elena Kharitonova, San Diego, Calif./San Diego Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy
    Lili Mizuno, Petaluma, Calif./Rhythmic Academy of Marin
    Alexandra Munson, La Mesa, Calif./San Diego Rhythms
    Yu-Shing Ni, Santa Monica, Calif./California Rhythms
    Diana Odajyan, Sun Valley, Calif./Los Angeles School of Gymnastics
    Sonia Petrossian, Glendale, Calif./Josephson Academy of Gymnastics
    Geena Poldnev, Los Angeles, Calif./California Rhythms
    Elena Slobodyanyuk, San Diego, Calif./San Diego Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy
    Kristina Sobolevskaya, Los Angeles, Calif./California Rhythms
    Katya Souchitski, Beverly Hills, Calif./Los Angeles School of Gymnastics
    Shannon Tsang, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Eurogymnastics
    Desiree Webb, Santa Monica, Calif./Josephson Academy of Gymnastics
    Juliette Wong, Sunnyvale, Calif./Diana’s Rhythmics

    Connecticut
    Anna Grant, Rocky Hill, Conn./New England Sports Academy

    Florida
    Linda Dillon, Tampa, Fla./Tampa Bay Rhythmics
    Katya Marlowe, Valrico, Fla./Tampa Bay Rhythmics
    Kristen Ng, Wesley Chapel, Fla./Tampa Bay Rhythmics
    Sydney Rhoads, Appollo Beach, Fla./Tampa Bay Rhythmics
    Valentina Sola, North Miami Beach, Fla./Miami Gymnastics and Dance Academy

    Georgia
    Alexandra Volkov, Marietta, Ga./Golden Ribbon Rhythmic Gymnastics Center

    Idaho
    Malgorzata Staszewska, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho/Lake City Rhythmic

    Illinois
    Joyce Chen, Vernon Hills, Ill./M & N Rhythmic Academy
    Alexandra Dolgikh, Buffalo Grove, Ill./M & N Rhythmic Academy
    Taylor Edelchik, Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
    Michelle Frenkel, Deerfield, Ill./Rhythmix
    Molly Isley, Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
    Samantha Kats, Buffalo Grove, Ill./M & N Rhythmic Academy
    Iryna Kidyk, Wheeling, Ill./M & N Rhythmic Academy
    Julia Los, Buffalo Grove, Ill./M & N Rhythmic Academy
    Erin Tucker, Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
    Alexandra Vassilyeva, Glenview, Ill./Rhythmix
    Millennia Zhou, Long Grove, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center

    Maryland
    Sofia Bzhilyanskaya, Germantown, Md./Elegance Gymnastics
    Daria Mozolina, Poolsville, Md./Capital Rhythmics

    Massachusetts
    Laurie Chen, Concord, Mass./Rhythmic Dreams
    Amanda Dai, Newton, Mass./Rhythmic Dreams
    Amy Kaluzhny, Newton, Mass./Rhythmic Dreams
    Ksenia Moskalenko, Newton, Mass./Rhythmic Dreams
    Nadia Salie, Newton, Mass./Rhythmic Dreams
    Melissa Wong, Canton, Mass./New England Sports Academy
    Erica Wu, Weston, Mass./New England Sports Academy
    Margaret Zhao, Newton, Mass./Rhythmic Dreams

    Minnesota
    Louisa Mamnev, Golden Valley, Minn./NorthWest Rhythmic LLC
    Jadie Marquardt, Burnsville, Minn./IGM Gymnastics
    Anna Stepanova, Minnetonka, Minn./IGM Gymnastics

    New York
    Jennifer Ayzman, Brooklyn, N.Y./Isadora
    Karina Berezovsky, Bronx, N.Y./Liberty Academy
    Alison Goldenstein, Woodmere, N.Y./Matchpoint NYC
    Julia Khrakovsky, Brooklyn, N.Y./Matchpoint NYC
    Bianna Krubitski, Brooklyn, N.Y./Matchpoint NYC
    Gabrielle Ostrometsky, Brooklyn, N.Y./Matchpoint NYC
    Yekaterina Ronin, Brooklyn, N.Y./Matchpoint NYC
    Samantha Sterin, Staten Island, N.Y./Gold Ray Rhythmic
    Alexandra Vool, Brooklyn, N.Y./Matchpoint NYC
    Lillian Yang, Manhasset, N.Y./Isadora

    Oregon
    Kiana Killian, Portland, Ore./Rose City Performing Arts Collaberative

    Pennsylvania
    Mia Hawbaker, Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Northstars
    Angela Liu, Wexford, Pa./Pittsburgh Northstars
    Elizabeth McCullough, Narberth, Pa./Bala Gymnastics
    Michelle Pogosian, New Hope, Pa./Philadelphia Rhythmic Academy
    Lilia Tamkovitch, Philadelphia, Pa./Iliana Rhythmic Gymnastics

    Texas
    Margarita Andrade, Frisco, Texas/Texas Rhythmic Academy
    Faith Bolden, Fresno, Texas/California Rhythms
    Michelle Kishinevsky, Plano, Texas/Rhythmic Ribbon of Texas
    Donna Quedens, Frisco, Texas/Rhythmic Ribbon of Texas

    Virginia
    Connie Du, Fairfax, Va./Gymnastics World
    Briana Wright, Woodbridge, Va./Gymnastics World
    Olivia Xia, Herndon, Va./Gymnastics World

    Washington
    Milena Kolesnikova, Kirkland, Wash./Evergreen Rhythmics

    West Virginia
    Kristiana Slioutovskaya-Lopez, Princeton, W.Va./Princeton Gymnastics

Hopes

    Florida
    Vasilisa Nestscheret, Surfside, Fla./Rhythmic Art

    Illinois
    Karrine Denisova, Wilmette, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
    Matylda Marszalek, Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center

    New Jersey
    Elizaveta Pletneva, Caldwell, N.J./Liberty Academy