The country’s top level 10 gymnasts finished their seasons at the Junior Olympic National Championships this weekend in Cincinnati. Most of these athletes are future NCAA competitors, and the event always gives fans of college gymnastics a great opportunity to scout recruits. While we’re giving you a down and dirty recap of results today, keep an eye out for more detailed highlights over the next couple of weeks.
Like regionals, nationals for J.O. are split into 12 pre-set age divisions. Winners of each division in the all around, as well as by event and regional team are considered national champions.
Highest Scores
Though there’s no official recognition for it, it’s always interesting to watch which gymnast registers the highest all around score of the weekend, as they almost always go on to be collegiate superstars: The last three to “win” nationals were Alicia Boren, Maddie Karr and Nia Dennis. This year’s top scorer was Makarri Doggette, a longtime J.O. star and Alabama commit who will be joining the Crimson Tide for the 2020 season. Doggette is a gymnast who has looked ready for college for years now, and Alabama fans will be glad they only have one more year to wait. She’s a balanced all arounder, but the highlight of her performance was a stuck pike full-in on floor that’s a candidate for the best tumbling pass of the meet.
On vault, Haleigh Bryant (LSU, 2021) and Soraya Hawthorne (Georgia, 2020) topped the standings with 9.900. Hawthorne showed both a Yurchenko full and a massive double.
Bryant’s airy handspring pike half consistently ranks among the best vaults in the country.
Andrea Li (California, 2021) topped the bars standing across age groups, with a gorgeous Endo and unparalleled technique that received a 9.800.
Helen Hu (Missouri, 2020) is a fan favorite for her style across four events, so it seems only right that her unique beam routine—featuring a Valdez with a full turn directly connected to her gainer full dismount—was awarded the highest score of the weekend.
On floor, three gymnasts shared the distinction of the meet’s top score of a 9.725. Li nailed her 2.5 twist and had an uncanny ability to milk a controlled landing that will pay dividends at Cal (the reaction from coach and mom Wu Jiani as she lands her third pass is priceless).
Gabryel Wilson (Michigan, 2020) has been a J.O. standout for several years, and she shone this weekend, picking up an all around title and the meet’s second highest score. On floor, she opens with an incredibly easy open full-in, but the real highlight is her truly insane straddle positions.
Oklahoma incoming freshman Olivia Trautman completed the 9.725 club with a powerful routine, highlighted by a double layout and a glorious kick out of her closing double back.
College Commits
We came up with a point system based off individual placement to rank teams by commits finishing in the top 10 all around, and it should come as no surprise that Michigan topped the standings. Three future Wolverines topped their divisions—Carly Bauman, Natalie Wojcik and Gabryel Wilson—while no other team had multiple all around champions.
Cal finished a close second after Andrea Li dominated her division and Ella Cesario and incoming freshman Milan Clausi finished runners-up in theirs. Utah and Nebraska followed in the standings, with six future Utes and Huskers registering top 10 finishes.
All around national champions were a fascinatingly mixed group this year. In addition to the three Wolverines and Li, Alabama and Georgia each had a winning commit in Makarri Doggette and Kiya Johnson, respectively. Then things get more interesting, with Southern Utah’s Karley McClain, Missouri’s Helen Hu and North Carolina’s Lali Dekanoidze picking up the remaining titles.
Results
Note gymnasts are listed by presumed freshman season. Full results are available here.
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JUNIOR A |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Amari Drayton
Uncommitted, 2024 38.325 |
No. 2: Kailin Chio
Uncommitted, 2025 38.200 |
No. 3: Ui Soma
Uncommitted, 2024 37.925 |
| VT: Sophia Esposito
Uncommitted Sydney Razeghi Uncommitted, 2024 9.725 |
UB: Amari Drayton
Uncommitted, 2024 Sydney Jelen Uncommitted, 2024 9.600 |
BB: Ui Soma
Uncommitted, 2024 9.675 |
FX: Katelyn Rosen
Uncommitted, 2024 9.625 |
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JUNIOR B |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Gabriella Disidore
Uncommitted 38.300 |
No. 2: Gabrielle Gladieux
Uncommitted, 2023 38.200 |
No. 3: Lillian Lewis
Uncommitted 37.925 |
| VT: Sophia Stephens
Uncommitted, 2023 9.700 |
UB: Lyden Saltness
Uncommitted, 2024 9.675 |
BB: Lillian Lewis
Uncommitted 9.725 |
FX: Ariel Posen
Uncommitted, 2023 9.675 |
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JUNIOR C |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Faith Torrez
Uncommitted, 2023 38.525 |
No. 2: Karis German
Uncommitted 38.450 |
No. 3: Naya Howard
Uncommitted, 2023 38.275 |
| VT: Karis German
Uncommitted 9.800 |
UB: Ashley Cowan
Uncommitted, 2023 Gabriella DeGeorge Uncommitted Naya Howard Uncommitted, 2023 Faith Torrez Uncommitted, 2023 9.600 |
BB: Faith Torrez
Uncommitted, 2023 9.725 |
FX: Taralyn Nguyen
Uncommitted, 2023 9.700 |
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JUNIOR D |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Lali Dekanoidze
North Carolina, 2022 38.500 |
No. 2: Ella Cesario
California, 2022 38.350 |
No. 3: Mya Lauzon
Uncommitted, 2022 38.275 |
| VT: Chalyn Walker
Uncommitted, 2022 9.750 |
UB: Hailey Merchant
Uncommitted, 2022 Tessa Volpe Uncommitted, 2022 9.625 |
BB: Lali Dekanoidze
North Carolina, 2022 9.675 |
FX: Danielle Sievers
Nebraska, 2022 9.650 |
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JUNIOR E |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Alexis Jeffrey
Uncommitted, 2022 38.325 |
No. 2T: Makenzie Sedlacek
Arkansas, 2022 38.175 |
No. 2T: Stephanie Berger
Uncommitted, 2022 38.175 |
| VT: Rylie Bright
Uncommitted, 2022 9.825 |
UB: Alexis Jeffrey
Uncommitted, 2022 9.750 |
BB: Erika Penamante
Uncommitted, 2022 9.625 |
FX: Madelynn Jones
Uncommitted, 2022 Moorea Linker Rutgers, 2022 Haley Tyson Uncommitted, 2022 9.600 |
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JUNIOR F |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Kyra Burns
Missouri, 2021 38.350 |
No. 2: Sarah Clark
Arizona State, 2021 38.275 |
No. 3: Courtney Blackson
Boise State, 2021 38.250 |
| VT: Quinn Smith
Oklahoma, 2021 9.825 |
UB: Kyra Burns
Missouri, 2021 9.675 |
BB: Isabel Mabanta
Denver, 2021 9.675 |
FX: Julianne Fehring
Oklahoma, 2021 9.650 |
|
SENIOR A |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1T: Carly Bauman
Michigan, 2021 Kiya Johnson Georgia, 2021 38.625 |
No. 3: Haleigh Bryant
LSU, 2021 38.550 |
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| VT: Haleigh Bryant
LSU, 2021 9.900 |
UB: Carly Bauman
Michigan, 2021 Colbi Flory UCLA, 2021 9.750 |
BB: Carly Bauman
Michigan, 2021 9.750 |
FX: Kiya Johnson
Georgia, 2021 9.600 |
|
SENIOR B |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Andrea Li
California, 2021 38.850 |
No. 2: Jaedyn Rucker
Utah, 2020 38.675 |
No. 3: Sierra Brooks
Michigan, 2021 38.425 |
| VT: Jaedyn Rucker
Utah, 2020 9.850 |
UB: Andrea Li
California, 2021 9.800 |
BB: Abbie Thompson
Denver, 2021 9.675 |
FX: Andrea Li
California, 2021 9.725 |
|
SENIOR C |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Gabryel Wilson
Michigan, 2020 38.900 |
No. 2: Helen Hu
Missouri, 2020 38.875 |
No. 3: Matilyn Waligora
Alabama, 2020 38.500 |
| VT: Soraya Hawthorne
Georgia, 2020 9.900 |
UB: Helen Hu
Missouri, 2020 9.700 |
BB: Helen Hu
Missouri, 2020 9.775 |
FX: Gabryel Wilson
Michigan, 2020 9.725 |
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SENIOR D |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Makarri Doggette
Alabama, 2020 38.925 |
No. 2: Savannah Schoenherr
Florida, 2019 38.450 |
No. 3: Kai Rivers
LSU, 2020 38.425 |
| VT: Hallie Thompson
North Carolina, 2020 Makarri Doggette Alabama, 2020 9.850 |
UB: Savannah Schoenherr
Florida, 2019 Makarri Doggette Alabama, 2020 9.750 |
BB: Makarri Doggette
Alabama, 2020 9.625 |
FX: Makarri Doggette
Alabama, 2020 9.700 |
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SENIOR E |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Karley McClain
Southern Utah, 2019 38.550 |
No. 2: Milan Clausi
California, 2019 38.525 |
No. 3: Olivia Trautman
Oklahoma, 2019 38.500 |
| VT: Sekai Wright
UCLA, 2019 9.850 |
UB: Cristal Isa
Utah, 2019 9.700 |
BB: Milan Clausi
California, 2019 9.700 |
FX: Olivia Trautman
Oklahoma, 2019 9.725 |
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SENIOR F |
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| ALL AROUND: | No. 1: Natalie Wojcik
Michigan, 2019 38.775 |
No. 2: Abigail Johnston
Nebraska, 2019 38.625 |
No. 3: Derrian Gobourne
Auburn, 2019 38.600 |
| VT: Rachael Lukacs
Georgia, 2019 9.875 |
UB: Derrian Gobourne
Auburn, 2019 9.750 |
BB: Abigail Johnston
Nebraska, 2019 9.675 |
FX: Rachael Lukacs
Georgia, 2019 9.675 |
Article by Emily Howell-Forbes and Rebecca Scally
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