This year’s Nastia Liukin Cup Series will be comprised of 20 meets, each of which will qualify one senior gymnast (aged 16 or older) and one junior (15 or younger) to the 13th Nastia Liukin Cup in Frisco, Texas on Feb. 27.
This week’s series included four meets: the Arizona Sunrays Classic Rock Invitational, the Pikes Peak Cup, the Greensboro Gymnastics Invitational and the Classic Spectacular.
Last week’s qualifiers were Bryce Wilson and Nina Ballou (seniors); Presley Duke and Ariana Barksdale (juniors).
Arizona Sunrays Classic Rock Invitational
Winner (senior division): Kelsey Slade
Winner (junior division): Kennedy Cochran
Kelsey Slade, in the class of 2024, notched the senior qualification with a solid performance, which included a 9.900 on vault for a flawless Yurchenko full. Kennedy Cochran, in the class of 2026, won the junior competition. Her career these past few years was marred by injuries, but this year she’s back strong. On floor, she performs a unique front half twist to back 1.5 twist.
LSU signee Bryce Wilson, who qualified to the Cup last week, won the senior competition one tenth ahead of Slade and also scored a 10.0 on vault.
Kelsey Slade
Scores: VT: 9.900 | UB: 9.550 | BB: 9.700 | FX: 9.700 | AA: 38.850
- Club: Arizona Dynamics
- College: N/A
- High School Graduation Year: 2024
- CGN Rating: N/A
- Notable Results: 2021 Region 1 all around champion
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Kennedy Cochran
Scores: VT: 9.200 | UB: 9.025 | BB: 9.500 | FX: 9.550 | AA: 37.275
- Club: Gold Medal
- High School Graduation Year: 2026
- Notable Results: 2018 L9 Region 1 floor champion
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Pikes Peak Cup
Winner (senior division): CJ Keuneke
Winner (junior division): CaMarah Williams
Two-time NLC qualifier CJ Keuneke, in the class of 2024, qualified for the senior competition thanks to two big scores on bars and floor. Floor is turning into Keuneke’s pet event: Her twisting form is beautiful and won her a 10.0 in event finals this weekend.
CaMarah Williams, in the class of 2026, posted the highest score of the day, thanks to big scores on vault and floor. On vault, she already competes a big Yurchenko 1.5. On floor, she opens her routine with a big full-in and performs her routine with plenty of personality and sass. She also scored a 10.0 on this event on day two.
CJ Keuneke
Scores: VT: 9.400 | UB: 9.800 | BB: 9.375 | FX: 9.850 | AA: 38.425
- Club: Active Athletics
- College: N/A
- High School Graduation Year: 2024
- CGN Rating: N/A
- Notable Results: 2021 Colorado state champion and L10 national silver medalist on beam
- Previous NLC Appearances: 2019 (junior, 18th), 2021 (junior, tied 4th)
CaMarah Williams
Scores: VT: 9.875 | UB: 9.375 | BB: 9.425 | FX: 9.800 | AA: 38.475
Videos: VT | UB | BB | FX
- Club: EDGE Gymnastics – Riverside
- High School Graduation Year: 2026
- Notable Results: 2021 L10 national champion on vault
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Greensboro Gymnastics Invitational
Winner (senior division): Faith Torrez
Winner (junior division): Simone Brown
Oklahoma signee Faith Torrez qualified to the senior competition two weeks after narrowly missing out on it. Her best score came on beam, her pet event, but she also scored high on floor, where she opens with a beautiful double layout.
Simone Brown, in the class of 2026, notched the junior spot. Her best score came on bars, where she has some very pretty lines, but she also shined on beam, where her routine has an elite feel; she performs a triple wolf turn to double wolf turn and a switch leap to back tuck.
Faith Torrez
Scores: VT: 9.675 | UB: 9.550 | BB: 9.875 | FX: 9.850 | AA: 38.950
- Club: Legacy Elite
- College: Oklahoma
- High School Graduation Year: 2022
- CGN Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Notable Results: 2019 L10 national all around champion
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Simone Brown
Scores: VT: 9.425 | UB: 9.775 | BB: 9.550 | FX: 9.425 | AA: 38.175
- Club: First in Flight
- High School Graduation Year: 2026
- Notable Results: 2021 L10 national all around bronze medalist
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Classic Spectacular
Winner (senior division): Lily Pederson
Winner (junior division): Allison Cucci
Former elite Lily Pederson, in the class of 2024, won the senior competition thanks to a solid all-around performance. Her most spectacular routines come on vault, where she performs a big Yurchenko 1.5, and on floor, where her three tumbling passes are very difficult: full-in, 1.5 twist to double twist and front double twist.
Allison Cucci, in the class of 2025, qualified to the junior competition after missing out on it a few weeks ago. She had a solid competition, topped by a 9.725 on vault for a clean Yurchenko full.
Lily Pederson
Scores: VT: 9.650 | UB: 9.775 | BB: 9.500 | FX: 9.650 | AA: 38.575
- Club: Flips Gymnastics
- College: N/A
- High School Graduation Year: 2024
- CGN Rating: N/A
- Notable Results: 2021 Region 4 all around champion and national bronze medalist; 2018 HOPES Classic silver medalist and GK Classic fourth place finisher
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Allison Cucci
Scores: VT: 9.725 | UB: 9.600 | BB: 9.400 | FX: 9.650 | AA: 38.375
Videos: VT | UB | BB | FX
- Club: Twin City Twisters
- High School Graduation Year: 2025
- Notable Results: 2021 New York state all around bronze medalist
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
READ THIS NEXT: Nastia Liukin Cup Series: Week 4
Article by Talitha Ilacqua
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