The USA Rhythmic Junior Team won the Four Continents Championships in Sydney, Australia, June 3. The strong USA team of Kate Jeffress, Heilie Isaacs, and Lindsay Powell defeated Japan 103.274 to 102.611. Canada was third with 102.586.
Jeffress, 14, won the all-around title with a score of 35.062 over Canada’s Emiliy Livingston (35.050) and Australia’s Tanya Vahala (34.599).
1997 USA Junior Rhythmic National Champion, Jeffress, is from Rockville, Md. and trains at Rhythmflex with her coach Catherine Yakhimovich.
Twelve-year-old Isaacs, who is ranked second on the USA Junior Rhythmic National Team, resides in Mt. Prospect, Ill., and trains at Rhythmic Gems with her coaches Lana Lashoff, Galina Burns and Melina Koudriavtseva. Isaacs’ hometown is Robbinsdale, Minn.
Twelve-year-old Powell, ranked third on the Junior Rhythmic National Team, is from Jacksonville, Fla., and trains at International Rhythmic Gymnastics with her coach Efrossina Anguelova.
The senior competition is still in progress. The senior rhythmic team includes Natalie Lacuesta and Lauri Illy from Rhythmic Gems in Glenview, Ill., and Ellie Takahashi and Liriel Higa, from California Academy of Rhythmic Gymnastics in Los Angeles, Calif.