TORONTO, Aug. 23, 2014 – Jazzy Kerber of Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, picked up the gold medals in the individual event finals for ribbon and clubs yesterday at 2014 Pan American Championships, in Toronto, Ont., Canada. In addition, she won the silver for ball and bronze for hoop. The U.S.’s rhythmic group won the silver medal in 10 clubs. Over three days of competition, the USA won nine medals.
Kerber, who won the individual all-around title earlier this week, posted a 16.633 to take the clubs title ahead of Canada’s Patricia Bezzoubenko, 16.567, and Brazil’s Angelica Kvieczynski, 16.350. Kerber’s second gold came in ribbon. She scored a 16.567 for the top spot. Mexico’s Cinthya Valdez was second, followed by Kvieczynski. Bezzoubenko won the ball and hoop finals, where Kerber picked up the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Rebecca Sereda of Staten Island, N.Y./Isadora, was sixth in both the clubs and ribbon finals and finished fourth in hoop. She also competed in the ball final, where she finished eighth.
The senior group, consisting of Kiana Eide of Northbrook, Ill., Alisa Kano of Glencoe, Ill., Natalie McGiffert of Northbrook, Ill., Jennifer Rokhman of Northbrook, Ill., Monica Rokhman of Northbrook, Ill., and Kristen Shaldybin of Chicago, Ill., all of North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, posted a 16.067 in 10 clubs to win the silver medal behind the team from Brazil.
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.