ASU has hired Washington assistant Stephen Buckner. He joins the new staff led by Jay Santos and his wife Jessica. Before UW, Bucker was at Alabama as a strength and conditioning coach, and a graduate assistant. He did his club gymnastics at Arizona Sunrays in Phoenix.
Link: ASU Release
Canada has named 11 women to their final candidate list for their Olympic Squad. The final squad will be announced on June 30th after a combination Trials/Training Camp on June 27th and 29th.
Karissa Hoffman, a L10 from Desert Lights, has committed to Sacramento State. In 2016, she placed 12th AA at the Region I L10 Regionals. She also qualified to Regionals in 2015.
Link: Videos
Kyla Kessler, a L10 from Pacific West, has committed to UC Davis for 2017-2018. At the 2016 L10 JO Nationals, she finished tied for 24th AA. She missed last season and part of this season due to injury.
Link: Videos
Briana Pearson, L10 at West Valley, has accepted a scholarship to BYU according to her club's twitter page. She finished 3rd AA at her NorCal meet this season and 7th AA at regionals. She finished her club career at JOs, where she finished 41st AA.
Amber Koeth, L10 at Gymcats, has committed to Sac State. This season she finished 6th AA at her state meet and 4th AA at regionals. She placed 22nd AA at JOs.
Former NCAA champion Sam Mikulak (ex Michigan) won his fourth straight US title at the P&G Championships.
Former OU Sooners Chris Brooks and Jake Dalton were 2nd and 3rd. The NCAA was well represented, with Stanford's Akash Modi in 4th and OU's Yul Moldauer and Ohio State's Sean Melton tied for fifth with Donnell Whittenburg.
Former Illini Paul Ruggerri was tied for 8th with Marvin Kimble (who spent his first year at Michigan). The US also named the US Natoinal Team, which is determined by a complex system of points based on individual finishes. Others with NCAA connections making the squad: Alex Naddour (ex OU), CJ Maestas (ex Illinois) and Eddie Penev (ex Stanford). All of those National Team members now advance to the Olympic Trials. After the initial team was named, USA Gymnastics announced that former Cal star Donothan Bailey, former OU star Steven Legendre, OU's Kenji Oyama and former Buckeye Brandon Wynn had been added to the team (along with Danell Leyva), and will compete at the Trials.
Selecting an Olympic squad will be especially difficult, with a complex combination of strengths and weaknesses from the leading contenders. The rise of the young NCAAers is also shaking up the existing hierarchy on the National Team.
Link: Release
The Canadian Championships concluded with event finals for the men and the women's L10 16+ age group.
Olympian Aly Raisman won the senior title at the US Classic, posting a solid 59.2. Florida incoming frosh Rachel Gowey was 2nd at 58.3 while future teammate Alyssa Baumann was 3rd at 58.0. Several top gymnasts opted to compete one or two events. UCLA (2018) commit Marzetta Frazier was fourth at 55.9 while Georgia commit Emily Schild (2017) was fifth with a 55.55. Bama commit Emily Gaskins (2018) was 7th, Minnesota commit (2017) Lexy Ramler 8th at 54.75 while Utah commit (2019) Abby Paulson was 9th at 54.65.
2018 OU commit Oliva Trautman was 11th at 53.9 while in 12th was 2019 OU commit Kaitlyn DeGuzman with a 52.55. 2018 PSU commit Leah Clapper posted a 51.25 for 13th.
In the junior division, Irina Alexeeva edged Emma Malabuyo for the win, 57.55 to 57.5. 2020 UCLA commit Jordan Chiles was 4th at 56.35, suffering a fall on BB and OOBs on FX.
Link: USA Gymnastics
Chloe Bellmore, L10 at Gedderts Twistars, has committed to MSU. She won her state meet this season and placed 12thAA at regionals. She competed at JOs and placed 31st AA.
Isabela Onyshko set a new Canadian record in the AA with a 58.55 to easily win the Canadian AA title. Ellie Black was 2nd. Onyshko won the UB and BB while Black won the FX, despite a sore ankle.
Donnell Whittenburg took a slim lead over former NCAA champion Sam Mikulak on the first day of the P&G (US) Championships. Former OU Sooners Chris Brooks and Jake Dalton are in 3rd and 4th, respectively.
Great Britain edged Russia to lead the qualifying round at the Women's European Championships.
LSU incoming frosh Ruby Harrold competed three events for Great Britain, but missed out on any finals. Cal commit (2017) Alma Kuc competed for Poland on UB while Bama commit Kylie Dickson competed for Belarus in the AA, posting a 50.865.
Link: Team Results
Link: AA Results
Isabela Onyshko bested Olympian Ellie Black, 57.4 to 57.15 in the preliminary round of the Canadian Championships. The Championships form part of the qualification process for the Canadian Olympic Team.
Kennedy Hambrick, L10 at Refelx Gymnastics, has committed to Arkansas. This season she placed 6th AA at her state meet, 2nd AA at regionals and 34th AA at JOs.
Haley Pitou, L10 at All American Gymnastics, has committed to BYU. She won the bars titles at her 2016 state and regionals meets. She qualified to JOs and finished 31st AA.