Feeley, Griskenas win ball/hoop titles at USA Gymnastics Championships

MILWAUKEE, June 29, 2017 – Camilla Feeley of Highland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, and Evita Griskenas of Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, won the ball and hoop titles, respectively, at the 2017 USA Gymnastics Championships at Milwaukee’s BMO Harris Bradley Center, where elite competition continues tomorrow with the two event finals for senior rhythmic gymnastics and the preliminary rounds for acrobatic gymnastics, women’s trampoline and tumbling and men’s double mini-trampoline.

For rhythmic gymnastics, Griskenas won the senior hoop title with a 17.700, followed by 2016 Olympian Laura Zeng of Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, with a 17.667 and Feeley with a 17.434. In the senior ball event, Feeley’s 17.534 clinched the title, Griskenas earned a 17.400 for silver and Zeng took bronze with a 17.167.

Griskenas leads the all-around standings after the first day at 35.100. Feeley sits in second with 34.968, and Zeng, who is the two-time defending U.S. all-around champion, rounds out the top-three with 34.834.

The evening session served as the preliminary round for men’s trampoline and tumbling and women’s double mini-trampoline. The gymnasts leading the senior rankings for the prelims are: women’s double-mini – Paige Howard of San Juan Capistrano, Calif./World Elite Gymnastics (69.200); trampoline – Jeffrey Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Elite Trampoline Academy (110.830); and men’s tumbling – Austin Nacey of Braidwood, Ill./TwistStars Tumbling and Trampoline (73.100).

Event summary

  • Rhythmic gymnastics (senior):
    • Top three senior rhythmic gymnasts, hoop final: 1. Evita Griskenas, North Shore, 17.700; 2. Laura Zeng, North Shore, 17.667; 3. Camilla Feeley, North Shore, 17.434
    • Top three senior rhythmic gymnasts, ball final: 1. Camilla Feeley, North Shore, 17.534; 2. Evita Griskenas, North Shore, 17.400; 3. Laura Zeng, North Shore, 17.167
    • Top three senior rhythmic gymnastics, all-round preliminary rankings after two events: 1. Evita Griskenas, North Shore, 35.100; 2. Camilla Feeley, North Shore, 34.968; 3. Laura Zeng, North Shore, 34.834
  • Trampoline
    • Top three men’s qualification scores: 1. Jeffrey Gluckstien, ETA, 110.830; 2. Stewart Pritchard, Ultimate Air, 105.580; 3. Paul Bretscher, MTGA, 104.100
    • Qualifiers for finals (in placement order)
      Men: 1. Jeffrey Gluckstein, ETA, 110830; 2. Stewart Pritchard, Ultimate Air, 105.580; 3. Paul Bretscher, MTGA, 104.100; 4. Logan Dooley, World Elite, 101.900; 5. Cody Gesuelli, World Elite, 101.085; 6. Isaac Rowley, Eagle Gymnastics Texas, 99.540; 7. David Ford, Airborne Colorado, 99.315; 8. Aliakesi Shostak, T&T Express, 62.955
  • Tumbling
    • Top three men’s qualification scores: 1. Austin Nacey, Twiststars, 73.100; 2. Alex Renkert, Integrity Athletics, 69.500; 3. Brandon Krzynefski, Capital Gymnastics, 68.200
    • Qualifiers for finals (in placement order)
      Men: 1. Austin Nacey, Twiststars, 73.100; 2. Alex Renkert, Integrity Athletics, 69.500; 3. Brandon Krzynefski, Capital Gymnastics, 68.200; 4. Emilio Lehmer, Aspire, 66.300; 5. Drew Collins, Eagle Gymnastics Texas, 65.800; 6. Matthew Hawkins, Aspire, 63.100
  • Double mini-trampoline
    • Top three women’s qualification scores: 1. Paige Howard, World Elite, 69.200; 2. Tristan Van Natta, Integrity Athletics, 69.100; 3. Hally Piontek, KC Trampoline Club, 67.500
    • Qualifiers for finals (in placement order): 1. Paige Howard, World Elite, 69.200; 2. Tristan Van Natta, Integrity Athletics, 69.100; 3. Hally Piontek, KC Trampoline Club, 67.500; 4. Kristle Lowell, One World Gymnastics, 66.400; 5. Michiko Sharpe, Gymagic, 66.000; 6. Kelly Keitel, Top Star, 65.400; 7. Kellyn Euhus, Wight Tumble Academy, 64.400; 8. Lacey Jenkins, Phoneix Elite, 63.300

Acrobatic Gymnastics (top scores)

  • Women’s group, balance: 1. Sophie Gruszka, Morgan Sweeney, Amanda Waterson, West Coast Training Center, 29.223; 2. Elanor Chang, Calista Davis, Madison Freed, EAGC, 28.147; 3. Emma Bentov-Lagman, Cristin Connerney, Helena Hall, LeeAnns Acrobatic and Tumbling Academy/1st Class Gymnastics, 26.123
  • Women’s pair, dynamic: 1. Emily Davis, Aubrey Rosilier, AGSA, 27.447
  • Mixed pair, dynamic: 1. Aisley Boynton, Maxim Sedochenkoff; Realis, 28.197; 2. Axel Osborne, Tiffani Williams, Realis, 26.640

The 2017 USA Gymnastics Championships is the national championships for acrobatic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline and tumbling, and it features competition on both Junior Olympic and elite levels. The elite competition schedule is outlined below. For a complete schedule, please visit USAGymChamps.com/schedule.

Friday, June 30

    BMO Harris Bradley Center

    • 1:30 p.m. – Rhythmic gymnastics, junior all-around and event finals, senior elite all-around preliminaries and event finals
    • 6 p.m. – Acrobatic gymnastics, junior and senior elite preliminaries; Rhythmic gymnastics, senior elite all-around preliminaries and event finals; Trampoline, tumbling and double mini-trampoline, senior elite preliminaries

    Wisconsin Center

    • 1:30 p.m. Acrobatic gymnastics, junior elite; Trampoline, tumbling and double mini-trampoline, junior elite

Saturday, July 1

    BMO Harris Bradley Center

    • 1:30 p.m. – Rhythmic gymnastics, senior elite all-around finals
    • 6 p.m. – Acrobatic gymnastics, junior and senior elite finals; Rhythmic gymnastics, senior elite all-around finals; Trampoline, tumbling and double mini-trampoline, senior elite finals

    Wisconsin Center

    • 1:30 p.m. – Acrobatic gymnastics, junior elite

For the junior and senior elite levels for each discipline, the athletes are vying for national titles. Performances in Milwaukee will also determine berths on the junior and senior U.S. National Teams for acrobatic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline and tumbling. In rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline and tumbling, the competition will be part of the selection process for the 2017 World Championships. For acrobatic gymnastics and trampoline and tumbling, the USA Gymnastics Championships are part of the selection process for the U.S. teams that will compete at the 2017 World Games, the equivalent of the Olympic Games for sports and events not included in the Olympics. 2016 Olympian Laura Zeng of Libertyville, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, has already been named the U.S.’s World Games representative in rhythmic gymnastics.

The Junior Olympic division has several different levels, and national titles will be awarded for each level and age group for each discipline.

Evening session tickets at the BMO Harris Bradley Center are: $35, June 29-30; and $40, July 1. The all-session pass, which grants access to all sessions at both venues, is $95. Tickets may be purchased at the BMO Harris Bradley Center Box Office, ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. For the events at the Wisconsin Center, a $35, single-day pass will be available onsite on competition days, and on June 26-27, the all-day pass also includes access to the afternoon sessions at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

USA Gymnastics will provide live webcast coverage of three evening sessions from Milwaukee. The webcasts of the senior elite competition will be available via USAGymChamps.com/live Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. CT.

VISIT Milwaukee is working in conjunction with USA Gymnastics on the championships. This is the event’s first trip to Milwaukee, which hosted the 2003 U.S. Championships for men’s and women’s gymnastics.