© John Cheng

SAINT PAUL, Minn., Aug. 20, 2011 – Katelyn Ohashi of Plano, Texas/WOGA, led the junior women’s all-around rankings for all eight rotations of the two-day competition, winning her first U.S. all-around title at the 2011 Visa Championships at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn. Her all-around total of 120.950 put her ahead of Kyla Ross of Aliso Viejo, Calif./Gym-Max Gymnastics, the defending champion, and Sarah Finnegan of St. Louis, Mo./Great American Gymnastics Express in third.

"Winning the national title was my goal coming in for a couple of years now. This is so exciting," Ohashi said. "I have never been this confident in competition before."

Ohashi also won three of the individual event titles: uneven bars, 30.150; balance beam, 31.050; and floor exercise, 30.050.

Ohashi began the second day of competition on the vault, posting a 14.800 score for her Yurchenko double twist. On the uneven bars, Ohashi worked with precision, showing a unique el-grip endo to straddled Jaeger to earn a 15.100 on the event. In the third rotation, Ohashi moved to her specialty, the balance beam, flawlessly executing a layout back flip with a full twist. Despite a fall on her sheep jump, she posted a 14.950, the second highest score on the event for the day. In the final rotation, Ohashi displayed grace and beauty combined with power as she tumbled a nearly perfect full-twisting double pike. Her score, a 15.150, secured the all-around gold medal.

Ross, who began the final day of competition in third position, started with a huge Yurchenko two-and-a-half twist and a 15.650 score, to move into second position overall, where she would stay for the remainder of the competition. She posted a total score of 117.650 for the all-around.

Photos by John Cheng

"My goal was to get top three, so I was pretty happy that I accomplished that," Ross said. "I was happy that I hit all my routines today and that I went out there and did what I know I can do."

On the uneven bars, Ross stuck her double layout dismount for a 14.850. Moving to the balance beam, Ross barely wavered, posting the day’s highest score on the event, a 15.150. On the floor exercise, the all-around silver-medalist performed an Arabian double to stag jump and a stuck full-in for a 14.500.

Third place in the all-around, Finnegan began her day on the uneven bars with a 13.500. On the beam, her difficult routine, which included a standing Arabian, earned a 14.700. In the third rotation, Finnegan moved to the floor, performing a stylish, upbeat routine for a 14.400. Then, the St. Louis native earned her highest score of the day in the final rotation on the vault, where her double-twisting Yurchenko earned her a 14.800.

Lexie Priessman of Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy, who finished fourth in the all-around, won the gold medal on the vault. Priessman performed a Yurchenko two-and-a-half twist, earning a two-day total of 31.550 on the event.

2011 Visa Championships
Xcel Energy Center
St. Paul, Minn.
Aug. 20, 2011
Second day of two for junior women’s gymnastics

All-Around
1. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 120.950
2. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 117.650
3. Sarah Finnegan, St. Louis, Mo., 115.300
4. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 115.100
5. Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 112.050
6. Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 111.600
7. Kennedy Baker, Flower Mound, Texas, 110.750
8. Kiana Winston, Fort Worth, Texas, 110.250
9. Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 109.550
10. Mykayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz., 109.400
11. Elizabeth Price, Coopersburg, Pa., 109.150
12. Brianna Brown, West Chester, Ohio, 109.000
13. Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 108.900
14. Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 108.100
15. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 108.050
16. Peyton Ernst, Coppell, Texas, 107.600
17. Mackenzie Brannan, Austin, Texas, 107.400
18. Ariana Guerra, League City, Texas, 106.850
19. Polina Shchennikova, Colorado Springs, Colo., 106.150
20. Samantha Partyka, Katy, Texas, 106.050
21. Mary Maxwell, Elk Grove, Calif., 105.750
22. Lauren Marinez, Orlando, Fla., 103.900
23. Abigail Milliet, Denton, Texas, 103.800
24. Macy Toronjo, Huntsville, Texas, 100.400
25. Veronica Hults, Allen, Texas, 53.250

Vault
1. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 31.550
2. Mykayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz., 30.450
3. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 29.950
4. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 29.700
5. Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 29.500
5. Elizabeth Price, Coopersburg, Pa., 29.500
7. Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 29.400
7. Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 29.400
9. Sarah Finnegan, St. Louis, Mo., 29.350
10. Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 29.200
11. Kennedy Baker, Flower Mound, Texas, 28.950
12. Ariana Guerra, League City, Texas, 28.800
12. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 28.800
14. Abigail Milliet, Denton, Texas, 28.700
15. Kiana Winston, Fort Worth, Texas, 28.650
16. Mackenzie Brannan, Austin, Texas, 28.200
17. Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 27.950
18. Brianna Brown, West Chester, Ohio, 27.450
19. Macy Toronjo, Huntsville, Texas, 27.200
20. Lauren Marinez, Orlando, Fla., 27.100
21. Peyton Ernst, Coppell, Texas, 27.000
22. Samantha Partyka, Katy, Texas, 26.950
23. Polina Shchennikova, Colorado Springs, Colo., 26.400
24. Mary Maxwell, Elk Grove, Calif., 26.050

Uneven Bars
1. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 30.150
2. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 29.600
3. Kennedy Baker, Flower Mound, Texas, 28.950
4. Elizabeth Price, Coopersburg, Pa., 28.050
5. Sarah Finnegan, St. Louis, Mo., 27.800
6. Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 27.650
7. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 27.450
7. Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 27.450
9. Mackenzie Brannan, Austin, Texas, 27.400
10. Brianna Brown, West Chester, Ohio, 27.350
10. Peyton Ernst, Coppell, Texas, 27.350
12. Ariana Guerra, League City, Texas, 27.250
13. Mary Maxwell, Elk Grove, Calif., 27.150
14. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 27.000
15. Polina Shchennikova, Colorado Springs, Colo., 26.750
16. Kiana Winston, Fort Worth, Texas, 26.600
17. Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 26.500
18. Samantha Partyka, Katy, Texas, 25.900
19. Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 25.500
20. Mykayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz., 25.450
21. Veronica Hults, Allen, Texas, 25.250
22. Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 24.550
23. Abigail Milliet, Denton, Texas, 23.400
24. Lauren Marinez, Orlando, Fla., 22.500
25. Macy Toronjo, Huntsville, Texas, 21.700

Balance Beam
1. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 31.050
2. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 30.450
3. Sarah Finnegan, St. Louis, Mo., 29.050
4. Lauren Marinez, Orlando, Fla., 28.750
5. Veronica Hults, Allen, Texas, 28.000
6. Peyton Ernst, Coppell, Texas, 27.700
7. Kiana Winston, Fort Worth, Texas, 27.600
8. Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 27.500
9. Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 27.200
10. Brianna Brown, West Chester, Ohio, 27.050
10. Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 27.050
12. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 26.950
13. Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 26.900
13. Kennedy Baker, Flower Mound, Texas, 26.900
15. Mykayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz., 26.850
16. Mary Maxwell, Elk Grove, Calif., 26.500
17. Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 26.150
18. Samantha Partyka, Katy, Texas, 26.100
19. Polina Shchennikova, Colorado Springs, Colo., 25.850
20. Mackenzie Brannan, Austin, Texas, 25.650
21. Elizabeth Price, Coopersburg, Pa., 25.450
22. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 25.300
23. Macy Toronjo, Huntsville, Texas, 25.200
24. Ariana Guerra, League City, Texas, 25.150
25. Abigail Milliet, Denton, Texas, 25.050

Floor Exercise
1. Katelyn Ohashi, Plano, Texas, 30.050
2. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 29.150
3. Sarah Finnegan, St. Louis, Mo., 29.100
4. Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 28.200
5. Madison Desch, Lenexa, Kan., 27.850
6. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 27.650
7. Bailie Key, Coppell, Texas, 27.600
8. Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 27.550
9. Kiana Winston, Fort Worth, Texas, 27.400
10. Brianna Brown, West Chester, Ohio, 27.150
10. Polina Shchennikova, Colorado Springs, Colo., 27.150
12. Samantha Partyka, Katy, Texas, 27.100
12. Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 27.100
14. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 26.950
15. Abigail Milliet, Denton, Texas, 26.650
15. Mykayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz., 26.650
17. Macy Toronjo, Huntsville, Texas, 26.300
18. Elizabeth Price, Coopersburg, Pa., 26.150
18. Mackenzie Brannan, Austin, Texas, 26.150
20. Mary Maxwell, Elk Grove, Calif., 26.050
21. Kennedy Baker, Flower Mound, Texas, 25.950
22. Ariana Guerra, League City, Texas, 25.650
23. Peyton Ernst, Coppell, Texas, 25.550
23. Lauren Marinez, Orlando, Fla., 25.550