Kristal Uzelac Wins Third Consecutive Junior All-Around Title
Philadelphia – Tasha Schwikert (Las Vegas, Nev.) won her first all-around title this evening at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships scoring a combined total of 74.912.
“I am really excited about winning tonight,” said Schwikert. “I’ve accomplished a major goal and now I want to move on to winning a World or Olympic medal.”
Second and third in the all-around finals were Tabitha Yim (Irvine, Calif.), with 73.587 and Mohini Bhardwaj (Cincinnati, Ohio) with a 72.487.
“I wasn’t really expecting anything coming in tonight,” said Yim. “I just wanted to do the best I could on all four events and try to make the World Team.”
“I worked as hard as I possibly could before this meet and gave one hundred percent honest effort, so regardless of what the outcome was, I was going to be happy with no regrets,” said Bhardwaj. “Basically I felt if I hit eight for eight I would make the World Team.”
Schwikert, Yim and Bhardwaj qualified directly to the 2001 World Championships Team which will compete October 28-November 4, in Ghent, Belgium. Three more names will be determined by the women’s selection committee and announced tomorrow.
The following athletes were named to the 2001-2002 Senior National Team:
Tasha Schwikert/Las Vegas, Nev.
Tabitha Yim/Irvine, Calif.
Mohini Bhardwaj/Cincinnati, Ohio
Rachel Tidd/San Marcos, Calif.
Ashley Miles/San Antonio, Texas
Katie Heenan/Burke, Va.
Natalie Foley/Denver, Colo.
Brittney Koncak/McQueeney, Texas
Dana Filetti/Virginia Beach, Va.
Amanda Stroud/Blue Springs, Mo.
Katie Kivisto/Boca Raton, Fla.
Ashley Miller/Brodheadsville, Pa.

Junior Competition

Kristal Uzelac (Johnstown, Pa.) won her third consecutive junior national with 74.000 points. Uzelac is the first woman to ever win three consecutive junior titles in USA Gymnastics history.
“It means a lot to me and it feels so good inside that I won three in a row,” said Uzelac. “It’s just amazing that I could do that and I am really excited and relieved.”

Hollie Vise (Dallas, Texas) and Carly Patterson (Baton Rouge, La.) finished second and third with 72.525 and 71.587, respectively.
“It feels really good to finish this high,” said Vise. “My goal was to be in the top 3 so I am happy that I accomplished that.”
The following athletes were named to the 2001-2002 Junior National Team:
Kristal Uzelac/Johnstown, Pa.
Hollie Vise/Dallas, Texas
Carly Patterson/Baton Rouge, La.
Kaitlin White/Allen, Texas
Susan Jackson/Houston, Texas
Tia Orlando/Souderton, Pa.
Jordan Schwikert/Las Vegas, Nev.
Ashley Postell/Fairfax, Va.
Courtney Kupets/McLean, Va.
Elizabeth Tricase/Itasca, Ill.
Melanie Sinclair/Orlando, Fla.
Sarah Curtis/Corvallis, Ore.
Nina Kim/Houston, Texas
Terin Humphrey/Bates City, Mo.
Meagan Browning/Houston, Texas
Kassi Price/Plantation, Fla.
Maria Scaffidi/Sussex, Wis.