© Filippo Tomasi

JESOLO, Italy, April 9, 2022 – U.S. athletes earned the top spot in both the junior and senior team and all-around contests Saturday to kick off the 2022 City of Jesolo Trophy competition in Italy. Konnor McClain (Cross Lanes, W.Va./WOGA Gymnastics), who topped the junior all-around podium in 2019, claimed gold in her first trip back to Jesolo as a senior. Tiana Sumanasekera (Pleasanton, Calif./West Valley Gymnastics School) led the way in the junior division, while teammates Madray Johnson (Dallas, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics) and Myli Lew (Belmont, Calif./San Mateo Gymnastics) rounded out the top three.

U.S. seniors eMjae Frazier (Erial, N.J./Parkettes National Gymnastics Center), Shilese Jones (Auburn, Wash./Ascend Gymnastics Center), McClain, Zoe Miller (Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre) and Elle Mueller (Ham Lake, Minn./Twin City Twisters) posted a combined 164.065 en route to the team title. They finished nearly two points ahead of Italy (162.267). Canada (152.266) was third.

McClain (54.999) just edged Italy’s Asia D’Amato (54.967) for the all-around title. Martina Maggio (54.200), also of Italy, took bronze. All U.S. athletes finished in the top-10. Jones was fourth with a 53.733, while Frazier (52.934), Miller (51.533) and Mueller (51.466) notched the sixth through eighth positions.

The top-eight gymnasts on each apparatus advanced to Sunday’s individual event finals with a limit of two athletes per country. Jones qualified in the top position on uneven bars with a 14.133. Miller’s 14.033 advanced her in the third spot. McClain led the way on beam with a 13.933 with Jones (13.467) also set to compete in tomorrow’s final. Frazier (13.367) and McClain (13.233) qualified to the floor final in the second and third positions.

In the junior division, the U.S. team of Johnson, Lew, Zoey Molomo (Frisco, Texas/Metroplex Gymnastics), Ella Murphy (Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics), Sumanasekera and Gabby Van Frayen (Lewis Center, Ohio/Gym X-Treme) outpaced runner-up Italy 159.766-150.933. A second team fielded by the host country claimed third with a 148.567.

Sumanasekera topped the junior all-around field with a 52.500 finishing just ahead of teammates Johnson (52.366), Lew (52.299). Molomo (51.134) and Murphy (51.000) capped an all-U.S. top five. Van Frayen was ninth with a 50.233.

Molomo (13.500 – 13.633, 13.367) and Sumanasekera (13.500 – 13.867, 13.133) will represent the U.S. in Sunday’s vault final. The pair is also set to compete on floor behind scores of 12.867 and 13.067, respectively. Lew (13.633) qualified in the top spot on uneven bars with Johnson (13.400) set to join her. Sumanasekera (13.633) and Johnson (13.433) advanced one-two on balance beam.

Apparatus finals are set to commence at 8:30 a.m. ET at the Palainvent Jesolo. The action will stream live on YouTube.