Kyla Ross
© John Cheng

DALLAS, Texas, Aug. 15, 2009 – Kyla Ross of Aliso Viejo, Calif., battled to win the junior women’s all-around title at the 2009 Visa Championships in Dallas, Texas.

Ross, who trains at Gym-Max Gymnastics, persevered through several lead changes during the second day of competition to finish her first national championships as the U.S. junior all-around champion with a 114.000 total. Ross’ Yurchenko double twist earned a 15.200, which gave her the vault title (30.350) and clinched the all-around crown. Ross also won the balance beam title with a composite score of 29.000.

“I’m very happy to win the title,” said Ross. “After bars, I just knew I had to keep strong and told myself not to give up.”

Bridgette Caquatto of Naperville, Ill./Naperville Gymnastics Club, was first in the all-around rankings going into the last event, but fell performing a double back dismount on balance beam to score a 13.500 and drop into second place overall with a total score of 113.450. Caquatto had the highest uneven bars score of the day with a 14.350. Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics, was third with 112.600. Sabrina Vega of Carmel, N.Y./Dynamic Gymnastics, was a close fourth in the all-around (112.150) and won the floor exercise event title with a two-day total of 28.550.

Cincinnati Gymnastics’ Amanda Jetter of Milford, Ohio, landed fifth in the all-around with a score of 110.950. Morgan Smith of Clearmont, Fla./Brandy Johnson Gymnastics, and Madison Kocian of Dallas/WOGA, tied for sixth with a 110.000. WOGA’s Briley Casanova of Dallas finished eighth at 109.900. While Sophina DeJesus of Temecula, Calif./ SCEGA (109.450) and Katelyn Ohashi of Independence, Mo./ GAGE (109.350), rounded out the top 10.

Kennedy Baker of Lewisville, Texas/Texas Dreams won bars with a two-day combined event total of 27.950.

Photos by John Cheng

2009 Visa Championships
American Airlines Center
Dallas, Texas
Aug. 15, 2009

Junior women’s gymnastics finals – second of two days

All-around
1. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 114.000
2. Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 113.450
3. Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 112.600
4. Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 112.150
5. Amanda Jetter, Milford, Ohio, 110.950
6. Madison Kocian, Dallas, Texas, 110.000
6. Morgan Smith, Clearmont, Fla., 110.000
8. Briley Casanova, Dallas, Texas, 109.900
9. Sophina DeJesus, Temecula, Calif., 109.450
10. Katelyn Ohashi, Independence, Mo., 109.350
11. Kennedy Baker, Lewisville, Texas, 109.300
12. Hallie Mossett, Los Angeles, Calif., 109.250
13. Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas, 108.850
14. McKenzie Wofford, Spring, Texas, 108.700
15. Napualani Hall, Kansas City, Mo., 108.600
16. Sophia Lee, Plano, Texas, 108.550
17. Claire Boyce, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 108.300
18. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 107.550
19. Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 106.900
20. Mackenzie Brannan, Austin, Texas, 106.400
21. Talia Chiarelli, Sudbury, Mass., 105.900
21. Elizabeth LeDuc, Baytown, Texas, 105.900
23. Kiana Winston, Forth Worth, Texas, 105.800
24. Nicolette McNair, Dove Canyon, Calif., 105.200
25. Ashley Lambert, Newport News, Va., 105.150
25. Madeline Hanley, Danielsville, Pa., 105.150
27. McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 104.800
28. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 103.250
29. Keely McNeer, Baton Rouge, La., 102.650
30. Abigail Milliet, Denton, Texas, 39.900
31. Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va., 32.000

Vault
1. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 30.350
2. Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 30.250
3. McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 29.900
4. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 29.850
5. Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 29.650
6. Morgan Smith, Clearmont, Fla., 29.000
7. Ashley Lambert, Newport News, Va., 28.900
8. Talia Chiarelli, Sudbury, Mass., 28.750
9. Sophia Lee, Plano, Texas, 28.700
10. Napualani Hall, Kansas City, Mo., 28.500
10. Briley Casanova, Dallas, Texas, 28.500
12. Amanda Jetter, Milford, Ohio, 28.450
13. Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 28.400
14. Kiana Winston, Forth Worth, Texas, 27.900
15. Madison Kocian, Dallas, Texas, 27.650
15. Claire Boyce, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 27.650
17. Kennedy Baker, Lewisville, Texas, 27.550
17. Hallie Mossett, Los Angeles, Calif., 27.550
19. Nicolette McNair, Dove Canyon, Calif., 27.450
20. Mackenzie Brannan, Austin, Texas, 27.350
21. Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 27.300
22. Katelyn Ohashi, Independence, Mo., 27.200
22. Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas, 27.200
24. McKenzie Wofford, Spring, Texas, 27.100
25. Keely McNeer, Baton Rouge, La., 27.000
26. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 26.800
27. Sophina DeJesus, Temecula, Calif., 26.550
27. Elizabeth LeDuc, Baytown, Texas, 26.550
29. Madeline Hanley, Danielsville, Pa., 26.350
30. Abigail Milliet, Denton, Texas, 13.450

Uneven bars
1. Kennedy Baker, Lewisville, Texas, 27.950
2. Morgan Smith, Clearmont, Fla., 27.850
3. Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas, 27.750
4. Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 27.400
5. McKenzie Wofford, Spring, Texas, 27.300
6. Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 27.250
6. Amanda Jetter, Milford, Ohio, 27.250
8. Madison Kocian, Dallas, Texas, 27.150
9. Sophina DeJesus, Temecula, Calif., 27.050
9. Briley Casanova, Dallas, Texas, 27.050
11. Mackenzie Brannan, Austin, Texas, 26.600
12. Abigail Milliet, Denton, Texas, 26.450
12. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 26.450
14. Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 26.400
15. Hallie Mossett, Los Angeles, Calif., 26.350
16. Sophia Lee, Plano, Texas, 26.000
17. Kiana Winston, Forth Worth, Texas, 25.900
18. Claire Boyce, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 25.800
19. Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 25.650
20. Katelyn Ohashi, Independence, Mo., 25.550
21. Nicolette McNair, Dove Canyon, Calif., 25.450
22. Napualani Hall, Kansas City, Mo., 25.150
22. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 25.150
24. Madeline Hanley, Danielsville, Pa., 24.950
25. Elizabeth LeDuc, Baytown, Texas, 24.850
26. Talia Chiarelli, Sudbury, Mass., 24.450
27. Keely McNeer, Baton Rouge, La., 24.250
27. Ashley Lambert, Newport News, Va., 24.250
27. McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 24.250
30. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 22.750

Balance beam
1. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 29.000
2. Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 28.950
3. Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 28.900
4. Sophina DeJesus, Temecula, Calif., 28.500
5. Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va., 28.400
6. Katelyn Ohashi, Independence, Mo., 28.350
7. Elizabeth LeDuc, Baytown, Texas, 28.150
8. Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 27.900
9. Amanda Jetter, Milford, Ohio, 27.850
10. Madison Kocian, Dallas, Texas, 27.800
11. Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas, 27.650
12. Hallie Mossett, Los Angeles, Calif., 27.300
12. Napualani Hall, Kansas City, Mo., 27.300
12. Briley Casanova, Dallas, Texas, 27.300
15. McKenzie Wofford, Spring, Texas, 27.200
16. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 27.050
17. Madeline Hanley, Danielsville, Pa., 27.000
18. Claire Boyce, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 26.700
19. Sophia Lee, Plano, Texas, 26.600
19. Morgan Smith, Clearmont, Fla., 26.600
19. Kennedy Baker, Lewisville, Texas, 26.600
22. Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 26.450
23. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 26.200
24. Keely McNeer, Baton Rouge, La., 26.100
25. McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 25.850
26. Mackenzie Brannan, Austin, Texas, 25.800
27. Nicolette McNair, Dove Canyon, Calif., 25.450
28. Ashley Lambert, Newport News, Va., 25.200
28. Kiana Winston, Forth Worth, Texas, 25.200
30. Talia Chiarelli, Sudbury, Mass., 25.000

Floor exercise
1. Sabrina Vega, Carmel, N.Y., 28.550
2. Katelyn Ohashi, Independence, Mo., 28.250
3. Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 28.200
4. Claire Boyce, Lee’s Summit, Mo., 28.150
5. Bridgette Caquatto, Naperville, Ill., 28.050
5. Hallie Mossett, Los Angeles, Calif., 28.050
7. Lexie Priessman, Cincinnati, Ohio, 27.900
8. Talia Chiarelli, Sudbury, Mass., 27.700
9. Napualani Hall, Kansas City, Mo., 27.650
10. Alexandra Raisman, Needham, Mass., 27.600
11. Amanda Jetter, Milford, Ohio, 27.400
11. Madison Kocian, Dallas, Texas, 27.400
13. Sophina DeJesus, Temecula, Calif., 27.350
14. Sophia Lee, Plano, Texas, 27.250
15. Kennedy Baker, Lewisville, Texas, 27.200
16. McKenzie Wofford, Spring, Texas, 27.100
17. Briley Casanova, Dallas, Texas, 27.050
18. Nicolette McNair, Dove Canyon, Calif., 26.850
18. Madeline Hanley, Danielsville, Pa., 26.850
20. Ashley Lambert, Newport News, Va., 26.800
20. Kiana Winston, Forth Worth, Texas, 26.800
22. Mackenzie Brannan, Austin, Texas, 26.650
23. Morgan Smith, Clearmont, Fla., 26.550
24. Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo., 26.400
25. Elizabeth LeDuc, Baytown, Texas, 26.350
26. Grace McLaughlin, Allen, Texas, 26.250
27. Keely McNeer, Baton Rouge, La., 25.300
28. Ericha Fassbender, Katy, Texas, 25.100
29. McKayla Maroney, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 24.800
30. Gabrielle Douglas, Virginia Beach, Va., 3.600