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 14th Nastia Liukin Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, on February 24.
The series started this week with the Atlanta Crown Invitational.
Atlanta Crown Invitational
Winner (senior division): Jamison Sears
Winner (junior division): Olivia Vandevander
Alabama signee Jamison Sears, who was last year’s NLC co-champion, notched her qualification in the senior division in a bid to defend her title. She had a solid day, capped by a huge 9.925 on floor. She edged Nina Ballou, a two-time NLC qualifier, by 0.025, as well as Kamila Pawlak, last year’s junior champion, by less than half a tenth.
Olivia Vandevander, in the class of 2027, qualified in the junior division with an impressive 38.550. It is a sensational result for a gymnast whose previous best all-around score was a 37.900 and who moved up from level 8 to level 10 only in 2020.
It was a remarkable day as well for Sears’ clubmate Brynn Torry, in the class of 2025, who debuted a beautiful Yurchenko double twist on vault.
Jamison Sears
Scores: VT: 9.650 | UB: 9.600 | BB: 9.675 | FX: 9.925 | AA: 38.850
- Club: World Class
- College: Alabama
- High School Graduation Year: 2023
- CGN Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Notable Results: 2021 L10 national champion on beam and floor; former senior elite
- Previous NLC Appearances: 2022 (senior, co-champion)
Olivia Vandevander
VT: 9.625 | UB: 9.625 | BB: 8.525 | FX: 9.775 | AA: 38.550
- Club: Team Attraction
- High School Graduation Year: 2027
- Notable Results: 2021 national bronze medalist on bars; 2022 North Carolina state champion on bars and bronze medalist in the all around
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
READ THIS NEXT: Recruiting Roundup: December 2022
Article by Talitha Ilacqua
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