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Senior Alexandra Raisman (Brestyan's) and junior Kyla Ross (Gym-Max) won the all-around titles at the CoverGirl Classic, held Saturday in Chicago.

The CoverGirl Classic is the final qualification event for next month's U.S. national championships, and also served as a final warm-up for gymnasts already qualified.

2010 world floor exercise finalist Alexandra Raisman won the senior all-around title at the CoverGirl Classic.

Raisman survived a botched routine on uneven bars (12.450) and a poor landing on an Amanar vault to take the senior title by a .3 margin of victory. She shone on floor exercise with a new routine to "Hava Nagila," opening with an exciting 1 1/2 to Arabian double front, punch front pass (6.2 Difficulty score).

2005 world champion Chellsie Memmel (M&M) took second all-around with a high score of 14.700 on balance beam (6.1 D). Sabrina Vega (Dynamic) was third, with a top mark of 14.800 on vault for a double-twisting Yurchenko.

Three-time world champion Alicia Sacramone (Brestyan's) competed three events, with the top scores on vault (15.700) and balance beam (15.200; tied with Jordyn Wieber). She debuted a new routine on floor exercise, but stumbled out of bounds on her ending double pike.

First-year senior Wieber (Geddert's) also had the top score on uneven bars (15.200) with a new tucked double-double dismount.

World and Olympic champion Shawn Johnson (Chow's) returned to competition for the first time since the 2008 Olympic Games. Johnson, who had knee surgery in early 2010, had nervous falls on uneven bars (hands down on full-twisting double layout dismount) and balance beam (two-foot layout). (Click here for video.) Johnson has petitioned to the U.S. championships.

Local favorite Anna Li (Legacy Elite) impressed on uneven bars with a Shaposhnikova-half plus Shushunova and Jaeger releases, but slipped off the bar while preparing for a toe-shoot to high.

The junior session featured several up-and-coming stars, with the top three gymnasts outscoring all the senior competitors. Ross debuted a new Amanar on vault and also had the high score on uneven bars (Stalder-blind to Jaeger; inside-Stalder full to bail; stuck double layout; 9.0 Execution).

Lexie Priessman (Cinncinati) notched a 15.450 for her own Amanar to win the junior all-around silver, .1 ahead of WOGA's Katelyn Ohashi. Ohashi, who will not be a senior until 2013, had falls on floor exercise and balance beam (standing Arabian) but blew away the rest of the competitors with her 7.0 Difficulty score on beam (two flip flops to layout full; piked full-in dismount). Ohashi tied Ross for the title on uneven bars with another impressive set (Stalder-full to Tkatchev; inside-Stalder blind to elgrip to Endo to Jaeger).

Texas Dreams' Veronica Hults, 12th all-around, was the top junior on balance beam (15.050).

The U.S. gymnastics championships take place Aug. 17-20 in St. Paul, Minn.

External Link: USA Gymnastics

2011 CoverGirl Classic
July 23, Chicago

Comments (2)

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Susie Buzza said:

	Senior Meet It was hard to pick out the worst dancer.
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July 24, 2011
Votes: +1

jollybarb said:

... I honestly don't know how Kyla Ross could've equalled Katelyn Ohashi's uneven bars routine, even with the little stumble on her dismount. As for the seniors, Shawn Johnson and Aly Raisman look 'stiff' as opposed to flexible. I think Jordyn Wieber is in excellent form. What a pity she has not added any additional dance on balance beam. She is very capable of taking that Allaround gold at Worlds. Good Luck Jordyn!

report abuse vote down vote up

July 25, 2011
Votes: +1

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