INDIANAPOLIS, May 6, 2021 – U.S. gymnasts amassed a collection of honors at the Irina Cup in Warsaw, Poland and Ritam Cup in Belgrade, Serbia to begin the month of May. Senior Naomi Skotnikov of Highland Park, Ill./Vitrychenko Academy Corp and junior Nayenne Pollini Ashenaffi of San Diego, Calif./Rhythmic Academy of Los Angeles finished second and third, respectively, in their all-around divisions and the Irina Cup. Meanwhile, Lennox Hopkins-Wilkins of Puyallup, Wash./Evergreen Rhythmics finished seventh in the senior all around at the Ritam Cup followed by teammate Victoria Kobelev of Ormond Beach, Fla./Rhythmic Art in eighth. Erika Rusak of Auburn, Wash./Evergreen Rhythmics was seventh in the junior all-around, and Isabella Chong of Mission Viejo, Calif./Burlo Gymnastics took the top spot in Ritam’s pre-junior (2009-10) division.
At the Irina Cup, Skotnikov, who earned a 62.550 across three apparatus (hoop, ball and clubs), was edged by Julia Wierzba of Poland who clinched the senior all-around with a 62.900. Nerea Francis of North Miami Beach, Fla./Bessonova’s School finished in eighth with a 57.150. Skotnikov nabbed the hoop title with a 22.500 and was second on clubs with a 22.400. Francis placed third on ball with a 20.800. Wierzba topped the field on ball and clubs.
Six U.S. athletes finished in the top-ten in the junior all-around competition at the Irina Cup with Pollini Ashenaffi leading the way with a 60.600 across three apparatus (hoop, ball and clubs). Katie Tang of San Diego, Calif./Emerald City Academy of Rhythmic Gymnastics followed in fourth with a 56.450, while Jaelyn Chin of Aventura, Fla./Bessonova’s School and Rachel Lu of San Diego, Calif./Emerald City Academy of Rhythmic Gymnastics tied for seventh with a 55.650. Aurora Vitrychenko of Highland Park, Ill./Vitrychenko Academy Corp (55.400) and Lauren Kramer of San Diego, Calif./Emerald City Academy of Rhythmic Gymnastics (55.150) were ninth and tenth, respectively. Valentina Moya of San Diego, Calif./Emerald City Academy of Rhythmic Gymnastics was 13th with a 51.950, and Natalia Ye-Granda of San Diego, Calif./Emerald City Academy of Rhythmic Gymnastics was 14th with a 51.700. Irina Fesyun of Sunny Isles Beach, Fla./IK School of Gymnastics – the only U.S. gymnast to compete on ribbon – finished 18th with a 49.600.
Poland’s Liliana Lewinska posted the high score in the junior division with a 68.250 and also took the hoop, ball and clubs titles. Pollini Ashenaffi was second on hoop (21.050) and third on ball (20.800) and clubs (22.200). Lu finished third on hoop (20.000) and fourth on clubs (20.850). Tang was fifth on ball with an 18.200, while Fesyun topped the field on ribbon with an 18.400. The junior group from IK Gymnastics, comprised of Lucia Borja of Aventura, Fla., Sophia Miller of Aventura, Fla., Angelina Mirer of Hollywood, Fla., Natalia Ortigosa of Hollywood, Fla., and Alexandra Rykova of Hollywood, Fla., finished fourth in 5 balls (28.900) and 5 ribbons (20.700).
At the Ritam Cup, Chong earned the top score on hoop in the pre-junior division with a 16.350 and was second on clubs with a 15.100 to finish with a combined 31.450. Rusak led the way for U.S. athletes in the junior division, posting a 70.250. Alexandra Ebert of Brooklyn Park, Minn./NorthWest Rhythmic finished 11th with a 67.200. Emily Benzos of Tarzana, Calif./Burlo Gymnastics was 13th with a 65.150, and Victoria Gonikman of Corcoran, Minn./NorthWest Rhythmic was 18th with a 61.300. Rusak nabbed top-ten finishes on hoop (10th, 17.100), clubs (eighth, 18.950) and ribbon (fifth, 17.800). Italy’s Tara Dragas topped the junior all-around field with an 85.750, placing first on hoop, clubs and ribbon.
In the senior division, Hopkins-Wilkins posted a 72.700 to edge Kobelev’s 71.950. Jenna Zhao of Hinsdale, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center finished with a 67.150, and Daria Merkulova of Grayslake, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center notched a 64.850. Kobelev was sixth in hoop with a 20.050. Hopkins-Wilkins led U.S. seniors on clubs (20.450) and ribbon (16.300), finishing sixth and fifth, respectively. Italy’s Alexandra Agiurgiuculese clinched the senior all-around title with a 94.700 after sweeping all four apparatus.