WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Powered by a silver-medal performance by Kate Jeffress (Rockville, Md.) in the all-around, the United States claimed the bronze medal in rhythmic gymnastics team competition at the 1998 Senior Pacific Alliance Championships, which concluded Wednesday evening on the campus of the University of Manitoba.

Competing in her first international event at the senior level, Jeffress scored a 74.517 to take the silver behind Julie Lombara of Canada, who scored a 75.400. Ellie Takahashi (Torrance, Calif.), added to the squad Friday after USA national champion Natalie Lacuesta was forced to withdraw by injury, took sixth all-around with a score of 72.766. Kassy Scharringhausen (Duluth, Ga.) rounded out the bronze-medal team for the USA.
Jeffress represented the USA in all four apparatus in the individual event finals, claiming a bronze in the hoop and taking fourth in rope and clubs and eighth in ribbon. Takahashi was fifth in ribbon and sixth in hoop, while Scharringhausen was eighth in rope. Canada’s Lombara completed a sweep of the individual gold medals by winning all four individual apparatus, completing a sweep of all golds by the host Canadians.
Competition in artistic gymnastics begins on Friday, July 10, with men’s team and individual all-around competition, with the women’s team and all-around on Saturday. Competition concludes with men’s and women’s individual event finals on Sunday, July 12. Blaine Wilson (Columbus, Ohio), the two-time defending USA national champion, leads the men’s squad, while the women’s team features current national champion Vanessa Atler (Canyon Country, Calif.) and Kristen Maloney (Pen Argyl, Pa.), bronze medalist at the 1998 Visa American Cup.
For more information on USA Gymnastics, its programs and athletes, access USA Gymnastics Online, the Official Website of USA Gymnastics, at http://www.usa-gymnastics.org.

Individual Event Finals

Rope – 1, Julie Lambara, Canada, 19.017. 2, Senka Kovacevic, Canada, 18.683. 3, Shaneez Johnston, Australia, 18.650. 4, Kate Jeffress, Rockville, Md., 18.483. 5, Mikako Iwamato, Japan, 18.373. 6, Leigh Marning, Australia, 17.858. 7, Gemma Railton, New Zealand, 17.817. 8, Kassy Scharringhausen, Duluth, Ga., 17.742.

Hoop – 1, Julie Lombara, Canada, 18.966. 2, Katie Iafolla, Canada, 18.800. 3, Kate Jeffress, Rockville, Md., 18.783. 4, Shaneez Johnston, Australia, 18.717. 5, Carolyn Au Yong, Malaysia, 18.666. 6, Ellie Takahashi, Torrance, Calif., 18.583. 7, Mikako Iwamoto, Japan, 18.484. 8, Danielle Leray, Australia, 18.408.

Clubs – 1, Julie Lombara, Canada, 18.916. 2 (tie), Carolyn Au Yong, Malaysia, and Katie Iafolla, Canada, 18.767. 4, Kate Jeffresss, Rockville, Md., 18.716. 5, Thye Chee Kait, Malaysia, 18.634. 6, Mikako Iwamoto, Japan, 18.633. 7, Danielle Leray, Australia, 18.434. 8, Kayako Miyaski, Japan, 18.033.

Ribbon – 1, Julie Lombara, Canada, 18.917. 2, Shaneez Johnston, Australia, 18.800. 3, Katie Iafolla, Canada, 18.650. 4, Mikako Iwamoto, Japan, 18.567. 5, Ellie Takahashi, Torrance, Calif., 18.400. 6, Carolyn Au Yong, 18.383. 7, Kristy Darrah, Australia, 18.175. 8, Kate Jeffress, Rockville, Md., 18.000.


All-Around

1, Julie Lombara, Canada, 75.400. 2, Kate Jeffress, Rockville, Md., 74.517. 3, Katie Iafolla, Canada, 74.358. 4, Shaneez Johnston, Australia, 73.442. 5, El Regi Tajudin, Malaysia, 73.092. 6, Ellie Takahashi, Torrance, Calif., 72.767. 7, Carolyn Au Yong, Malaysia, 72.758. 8, Mikako Iwamoto, Japan, 72.308. 9, Danielle Leray, Australia, 72.275. 10, Kayako Miyazaki, Japan, 71.992. 11, Simone Clark, New Zealand, 68.583. 12, Gemma Railton, New Zealand, 68.242. 13, Yi-Chen Chen, Chinese Taipei, 66.517. 14, Hsiao-Lan Ho, 66.250. 15, Karen Gutierrez, Mexico, 61.800. 16, Claudia Gongora, Colombia, 60.333. 17, Laura Escalante, Mexico, 59.367. Wai Ling Yeung, Hong Kong, 36.708. 19, Wun Sze Tang, Hong Kong, 36.050. (Kassy Scharringhausen, Duluth, Ga., 8th in prelims).

Team Medals

1, Canada, 183.683. 2, Australia, 179.900. 3, United States (Kate Jeffress, Rockville, Md., Kassy Scharringhausen, Duluth, Ga., Ellie Takahashi, Torrance, Calif.), 178.175. 4, Malaysia, 174.175. 5, Japan, 173.625. 6, New Zealand, 168.558. 7, Chinese Taipei, 164.008. 8, Mexico, 150.900. 9, Colombia, 116.458. 10, Hong Kong, 104.517.