INDIANAPOLIS — Jay Thornton, Augusta, Ga., and Raegan Tomasek, Gaithersburg, Md., each earned a gold and two silver medals to pace the United States at the 1997 Senior Pan American Championships, held July 2-7 in Medellin, Colombia.

Thornton currently ranked No. 3 in the USA, earned a gold in floor exercise and a silver in pommel horse, which was supplemented by a gold on the high bar by Aaron Cotter, Lincoln, Neb. Thornton missed a bronze in individual all-around by 0.3, barely missing a chance to break up what became a Cuban sweep of the men’s all-around. In team competition, the American quartet of Thornton, Michael Dutka, Fairless Hills, Pa., Aaron Cotter, Lincoln, Neb., and Sanjuan Jones, Tallahassee, Fla., claimed the silver medal, trailing Cuba by more than seven points.
Tomasek, No. 7 in the latest USA rankings, earned a gold on the balance beam and took a silver in floor exercise. Morgan White, Coconut Creek, Fla., added to the USA medal count with a silver in uneven bars. Tomasek and White were joined by Erinn Dooley, Gaithersburg, Md., and Nicole Kilpatrick, Ringwood, N.J., for a silver in the team event. All four USA gymnasts finished in the top 10 in individual all-around, led by White’s fifth-place finish, less than 0.4 off the medal pace.
The USA did not medal in rhythmic competition, placing fourth in team. Top USA finishers were Sasha Chernenko, Culver City, Calif., with a fifth place in clubs and Meaghan Muller, Roswell, Ga., who tied for fifth in rope.

1997 Senior Pan American Championships
Medellin, Colombia, July 2-7, 1997
Results are top three plus all USA placements

Men’s Results

Team
1, Cuba, 161.200;
2, United States (Sanjuan Jones, Tallahassee, Fla., Michael Dutka, Fairless Hills, Pa., Aaron Cotter, Lincoln, Neb., Jay Thornton, Augusta, Ga.), 153.900;
3, Colombia, 150.200.

Individual All-Around
1, Eric Lopez, Cuba, 54.300;
2, Francisco Diaz, Cuba, 53.450;
3, Lazaro Lamelas, Cuba, 52.600.
USA Finishes: 4, Jay Thornton, Augusta, Ga., 52.300;
6, Michael Dutka, Fairless Hills, Pa., 50.700;
9 (tie), Sanjuan Jones, Tallahassee, Fla., 50.000;
13 (tie), Aaron Cotter, Lincoln, Neb., 49.300.
Floor Exercise
1, Jay Thornton, Augusta, Ga., 8.675;
2, Eric Pedercini, Argentina, 8.650;
3, Diego Lizardi, Puerto Rico, 8.475.
Pommel Horse
1, Eric Lopez, Cuba, 9.475;
2, Jay Thornton, Augusta, Ga., 8.900;
3, Jorge Giraldo, Colombia, 8.475.
Other USA Finishes: 6, Michael Dutka, Fairless Hills, Pa., 7.975.
Rings
1, Diego Lizardi, Puerto Rico, 9.400;
2 (tie), Eric Lopez, Cuba, and Sergio Alvarino, Argentina, 9.350.
USA Finishes: 5, Jay Thornton, Augusta, Ga., 8.525.
Vault
1 (tie), Diaz Yoandy, Cuba, and Lazaro Lamelas, Cuba, 9.400;
3, Pablo Capote, Venezuela, 9.137.
USA Finishes: 4, Michael Dutka, Fairless Hills, Pa., 8.875.
Parallel Bars
1, Eric Lopez, Cuba, 8.975;
2, Francisco Diaz, Cuba, 8.950,
3, Jorge Giraldo, Colombia, 8.725.
USA Finishes: 7, Jay Thornton, Augusta, Ga., 7.925.
High Bar
1, Aaron Cotter, Lincoln, Neb., 9.225;
2, Alexander Rangel, Colombia, 8.975;
3, Lazaro Lamelas, Cuba, 8.950.
USA Finishes: 5, Sanjuan Jones, Tallahassee, Fla., 8.250.

Women’s Results

Team
1, Brazil, 105.307;
2, United States (Erinn Dooley, Gaithersburg, Md., Nicole Kilpatrick, Ringwood, N.J., Raegan Tomasek, Gaithersburg, Md., Morgan White, Coconut Creek, Fla.), 104.883.
3, Cuba, 104.084.

Individual All-Around
1, Denisse Lopez, Mexico, 35.681;
2, Layanet Gonzalez, Cuba, 35.251;
3, Maria Goncalves, Brazil, 35.144.
USA Finishes: 5, Morgan White, Coconut Creek, Fla., 34.776;
6, Raegan Tomasek, Gaithersburg, Md., 34.607;
7, Nicole Kilpatrick, Ringwood, N.J., 34.526;
10, Erinn Dooley, Gaithersburg, Md., 34.188.
Vault
1, Denisse Lopez, Mexico, 9.294;
2, Brenda Magana, Mexico, 9.162;
3, Leyanet Conzalez, Cuba, 8.987.
No USA entries.
Uneven Bars
1, Daniele Hypolito, Brazil, 9.450;
2, Morgan White, Coconut Creek, Fla., 9.038;
3, Camila Comin, Brazil, 8.863.
Other USA Finishes: 7, Nicole Kilpatrick, Ringwood, N.J., 7.887.
Balance Beam
1, Raegan Tomasek, Gaithersburg, Md., 9.200;
2, Denisse Lopez, Mexico, 9.025;
3, Leyanet Gonzalez, Mexico, 8.675.
Other USA Finishes: 5, Morgan White, Coconut Creek, Fla., 8.038.
Floor Exercise
1, Daniele Hypolito, Brazil, 9.275;
2, Raegan Tomasek, Gaithersburg, Md., 9.000;
3, Marilia Gomez, Brazil, 8.963.
Other USA Finishes: 7, Morgan White, Coconut Creek, Fla., 8.425.

Rhythmic Results

Team
1, Brazil, 109.4583;
2, Argentina, 108.3458;
3, Cuba, 108.1458;
4, United States (Sasha Chernenko, Culver City, Calif., Alicia Albe, Germantown, Md., Meaghan Muller, Roswell, Ga., Lauri Illy, Virginia Beach, Va.), 107.8000.

General Individual
1, Yordania Corrales, Cuba, 36.8833;
2, Camila Ferezin, Brazil, 36.5833;
3, Kizzy Antualpa, Brazil, 36.4833.
USA Finishes: 7, Sasha Chernenko, Culver City, Calif., 36.0500;
8, Meaghan Muller, Roswell, Ga.,. 35.8875;
10, Alicia Albe, Germantown, Md., 35.8625;
14, Lauri Illy, Virginia Beach, Va., 34.9708.
Rope
1, Yordania Corrales, Cuba, 9.4917;
2, Yasleidis Rodriguez, Cuba, 9.2542;
3, Camila Ferezin, Brazil, 9.2250.
USA Finishes: 5 (tie), Sandra Re, Argentina, and Meaghan Muller, Roswell, Ga., 9.1000;
8, Alicia Albe, Germantown, Md., 8.9958.
Hoop
1, Yordania Corrales, Cuba, 9.4083;
2, Camila Ferezin, Brazil, 9.3250;
3, Sandra Re, Argentina, 9.2667.
USA Finishes: 6, Sasha Chernenko, Culver City, Calif., 9.0083;
8, Alicia Albe, Germantown, Md., 8.3083.
Clubs
1 (tie), Dayane Silva, Brazil, and Yordania Corrales, Cuba, 9.4750;
3, Kizzy Antualpa, Brazil, 9.4167.
USA Finishes: 5, Sasha Chernenko, Culver City, Calif., 9.2083;
8, Alicia Albe, Germantown, Md., 9.0167.
Ribbon
1, Kizzy Antualpa, Brazil, 9.3667;
2, Sandra Re, Argentina, 9.2917;
3, Yordania Corrales, Cuba, 9.2833.
USA Finishes — 7, Sasha Chernenko, Culver City, Calif., 8.7667;
8, Meaghan Muller, Roswell, Ga., 8.6667.