© Filippo Tomasi

JESOLO, Italy, April 1, 2017 – Led by all-around victories from Riley McCusker of Brielle, N.J./MG Elite and Gabby Perea of Geneva, Ill./Legacy Elite, the U.S. women won the senior and junior team titles today at the Jesolo (Italy) Trophy. In addition, Team USA swept the junior all-around podium.

The U.S. tallied 167.950 ahead of Brazil (164.650) and Russia (164.600). McCusker posted a 56.600 in the all-around to take the title. Brazil’s Rebecca Andrade was second (56.000), and Abby Paulson of Coon Rapids, Minn./Twin City Twisters, won the bronze with a 55.800. Victoria Nguyen of West Des Moines, Iowa/Chow’s Gymnastics was seventh in the all-around with a 54.550 and Morgan Hurd of Middletown, Del./First State, finished in tenth place, totaling 53.900. 2016 Olympic team alternate Ashton Locklear of Hamlet, N.C./Everest Gymnastics, also competed as part of the U.S. team that won the gold medal.

Paulson, Alyona Shchennikova of Evergreen, Colo./5280 Gymnastics, and Trinity Thomas of York, Pa./Prestige Gymnastics, competed on a second U.S. squad, which posted a 163.400 for fourth place. Shchennikova’s 54.500 was eighth place in the all-around, while Thomas recorded a 15th place finish with her 53.100.

Nguyen posted the top mark on the beam for the U.S. with a 14.250, performing a back handspring to two layouts series and an aerial cartwheel to back tuck. She dismounted with a two-and-a-half twist. The U.S. posted a 42.450 with McCusker adding a 14.200 and Locklear a 14.000.

On floor, Hurd earned 13.200 after opening with a tucked double-double. The U.S. scored 38.800 counting scores of 12.850 and 12.750 from Nguyen and McCusker, respectively.

All three U.S. women vaulted clean Yurchenko double twists. The team scored 43.500 behind a 14.700 from Hurd, a 14.600 for McCusker and Nguyen’s 14.200.

The U.S. closed strong on the bars behind a 15.050 from McCusker. Her routine included a stalder to piked Tkatchev and a stalder Tkatchev to Pak salto. Locklear added a 14.750 and Hurd’s 13.400 gave the USA a 43.200 total on the event.

With a 171.850, Team USA easily won the junior team title ahead of Italy (157.900) and Russia (156.500). In addition, U.S. juniors swept the top four spots in the all-around with Perea (57.550), Maile O’Keefe of Las Vegas/Salcianu (57.300), Emma Malabuyo of Flower Mound, Texas/Texas Dreams (56.700), and Adeline Kenlin of Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa GymNest (55.900), going 1-2-3-4. Olivia Dunne of Hillsdale, N.J./ENA Paramus, finished sixth with a 53.500.

In the junior competition, the U.S. team started on the balance beam with four solid routines, including Perea’s 14.650 where she connected a standing full into a split leap and dismounted with a two-and-a-half twist. O’Keefe added a 14.500 and Kenlin a 14.150. They totaled 43.300.

On the floor exercise, Malabuyo led the way, posting a 13.950 with a routine that included a full-in mount, a front double full punch front, and a double pike dismount. O’Keefe was solid with a 13.600, and Perea posted a 13.300, giving the U.S. a 40.850 on the event.

All four U.S. vaulters performed double-twisting Yurchenkos with Malabuyo earning the top mark for the team at 14.650. O’Keefe and Perea rounded out the team score with matching 14.550 scores. On vault, the U.S. posted a 43.750.

In the final rotation, Perea posted a massive 15.050, the highest score of the day on any event, on the uneven bars, performing a toe-on Shaposhnikova to stalder Tkatchev, Pak salto sequence to open and a clean double layout to close. O’Keefe earned a 14.650 while Kenlin added a 14.250 to the U.S.’s 43.950 score.

USA Gymnastics. Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and Gymnastics for All (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, log on to www.usagym.org.