INDIANAPOLIS, May 25, 2021 – Five junior gymnasts and two seniors represented the U.S. last weekend at the 2021 Irina Deleanu Cup at Polyvalent Hall in Bucharest, Romania. All seven finished in the top-20 in the all-around in their respective divisions. Megan Chu of San Diego, Calif./Emerald City Academy of Rhythmic Gymnastics paced the team in the junior all-around, placing ninth with a 76.950. Lennox Hopkins-Wilkins of Puyallup, Wash./Evergreen Rhythmics led the way in the senior division finishing 11th with an 80.600.

Chu finished eighth on ball (20.400) and 10th on ribbon (18.000). Erika Rusak of Auburn, Wash./Evergreen Gymnastics was ninth on ball with a 20.200. Gemma Gow of Newton, Mass./Nelys School of Rhythmic Gymnastics (20.900) and Rin Keys of Porter Ranch, Calif./Burlo Gymnastics (20.800) finished sixth and eighth, respectively, on clubs. Keys also took seventh on ribbon with an 18.400, edging teammate Sarah Mariotti of San Diego, Calif./Emerald City Academy of Rhythmic Gymnastics who was eighth with an 18.050.

Keys and Rusak each posted a 75.450 in the all-around for 12th. Gow was 17th with a 73.450, while Mariotti finished 20th at 72.100.

Russia’s Anna Popova took the top spot in the all-around (89.900), ball (23.100), clubs (23.900) and ribbon (21.250) competitions. Liliana Lewinska of Poland posted the high score on hoop with a 22.250.

In the senior competition, Hopkins-Wilkins finished in the top-10 on hoop (10th, 20.950), ball (9th, 22.150) and ribbon (10th, 18.650). Fellow American Alexandria Kautzman was 15th in the all-around with a 78.350.

Russia’s Laia Kramarenko topped the field in the senior all-around (99.050) and on the hoop (26.900) and ball (27.300) apparatus, while fellow Russian Anastasia Simakova led the way on ribbon with a 22.250. Italy’s Milena Baldassarri notched the high score on clubs with a 25.300.

The junior group – comprised of Lucia Borja, Sophia Miller, Angelina Mirer, Natalia Ortigosa and Alexandra Rykova, all of IK Gymnastics – also performed, earning a 28.100 in five balls and 15.200 in five ribbons for a combined 43.300. While the group participated out of concourse and was not ranked in the scoring with the other participating teams, their two-event total would have placed them 12th.