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 Feb. 24.
This week’s meets included the BIG Classic, the Presidential Classic, the WOGA Classic, the Fiesta Bowl, the Excalibur Cup, the Rochester Classic, the Charity Choice Invitational and the Jaycie Phelps Midwest Showdown.
BIG Classic
Winner (senior division): Hannah Scheible
Winner (junior division): Lindsey Merdes
Hannah Scheible notched her second consecutive NLC qualification with a perfect score on vault for her difficult front handspring front pike half. The Oklahoma signee edged out Illinois signee Olivia Coppola by only three quarters of a tenth, who posted a career high 39.000 in the all-around.
Last week’s qualifier Taylor DeVries, an Oregon State signee, posted a career high 9.900 on bars.
Lindsey Merdes, in the class of 2026, qualified as a junior with a career high all-around score of 37.375.
Hannah Scheible
Scores: VT: 10.0 | UB: 9.575 | BB: 9.700 | FX: 9.800 | AA: 39.075
Videos: VT
- Club: All American Flames
- College: Oklahoma
- High School Graduation Year: 2023
- CGN Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Notable Results: 2021 national all around champion; 2022 Michigan state and Region 5 all around champion; 2022 national champion on bars and runner-up in the all around
- Previous NLC Appearances: 2022 (senior, 17th)
Lindsey Merdes
Scores: VT: 9.550 | UB: 9.250 | BB: 9.375 | FX: 9.200 | AA: 37.375
- Club: LaFleur
- High School Graduation Year: 2026
- Notable Results: 2021 Wisconsin state all around champion; 2022 state champion on bars
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Presidential Classic
Winner (senior division): Madison Ulrich
Winner (junior division): Jada Oliver
It was a nail-biting finish at the Presidential Classic, with three gymnasts scoring over 39 points and two others not far behind. In the end, it was Denver signee Madison Ulrich who got the win with a career high 39.225. The five-star recruit had a phenomenal day, capped by a near-perfect 9.975 on bars.
Behind her, Nina Ballou and Rayna Light both scored 39.050. CaMarah Williams scored a perfect 10.0 on vault, as well as a 9.975 on floor. A hiccup on bars prevented her from being in contention for a qualification spot.
Jada Oliver, in the class of 2027, became the junior qualifier with a career high total of 37.625. She showed off impressive routines for a gymnast in her first year competing level 10.
Madison Ulrich
Scores: VT: 9.825 | UB: 9.975 | BB: 9.650 | FX: 9.775 | AA: 39.225
- Club: Southeastern
- College: Denver
- High School Graduation Year: 2023
- CGN Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Notable Results: 2021 North Carolina state and national all around champion
- Previous NLC Appearances: 2020 (junior, 9th), 2019 (junior, 2nd)
Jada Oliver
Scores: VT: 9.375 | UB: 9.300 | BB: 9.450 | FX: 9.500 | AA: 37.625
- Club: Brandy Johnson’s
- High School Graduation Year: 2027
- Notable Results: 2022 L9 Florida state and Region 8 all around champion
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
WOGA Classic
Winner (senior division): Anya Pilgrim
Winner (junior division): Camryn Shepard
Florida signee Anya Pilgrim had one of the best meets of her career to notch qualification to her first NLC. She scored close to her career high on bars and in the all-around.
Pilgrim edged Kentucky signee Cecily Rizo by only one tenth, who posted career highs on vault (9.900), bars (9.900) and in the all-around (38.875).
Camryn Shepard, in the class of 2027, notched the junior qualification, scoring career highs on beam and in the all-around. Despite her young age, Shepard already performs a beautiful Yurchenko one and a half on vault.
Anya Pilgrim
Scores: VT: 9.825 | UB: 9.800 | BB: 9.625 | FX: 9.725 | AA: 38.975
- Club: Hill’s
- College: Florida
- High School Graduation Year: 2023
- CGN Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Notable Results: 2019 GK U.S. Classic all around champion; 2022 national vault co-champion
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Camryn Shepard
Scores: VT: 9.775 | UB: 9.175 | BB: 9.600 | FX: 9.750 | AA: 38.300
- Club: Mavericks
- High School Graduation Year: 2027
- Notable Results: 2022 L9 Texas state all around champion; 2022 Region 3 and Western national all around champion
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Fiesta Bowl
Winner (senior division): Chloe LaCoursiere
Winner (junior division): Kira Keller
After struggling with consistency on beam in recent meets, Alabama signee Chloe LaCoursiere was back to her old self, qualifying to her second NLC. The five-star recruit capitalized on bars, her pet event, where she scored a 9.950, but had strong performances on the other three events too.
Behind her, Haley Mustari, who qualified to the Cup last week, posted a 9.900 on bars and a 9.925 on beam.
The competition was won by Utah commit Avery Neff with a 39.175. As it happened last week, Neff’s results didn’t count toward the NLC qualification rankings, as she’s already qualified to the Cup.
Kira Keller, in only the third level 10 meet of her career, qualified as a junior. She had a stunning performance, scoring career highs on bars, beam, floor and in the all-around.
Chloe LaCoursiere
Scores: VT: 9.825 | UB: 9.950 | BB: 9.400 | FX: 9.700 | AA: 38.875
- Club: Coastal
- College: Alabama
- High School Graduation Year: 2023
- CGN Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Notable Results: 2022 national champion in the all around, vault and bars
- Previous NLC Appearances: 2021 (senior, 15th)
Kira Keller
Scores: VT: 9.650 | UB: 9.325 | BB: 9.650 | FX: 9.525 | AA: 38.150
Videos: VT | UB | BB | FX
- Club: Olympus
- High School Graduation Year: 2026
- Notable Results: 2022 L9 Utah state all around champion; 2022 L9 Western national all around champion
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Excalibur Cup
Winner (senior division): Elyse Wenner
Winner (junior division): Ella Fine
Elyse Wenner, in the class of 2025, had an excellent performance that qualified her to her second consecutive NLC. She posted career highs on bars, floor and in the all-around. She equally impressed on vault, where she stuck her Yurchenko full cold.
Ella Fine, in the class of 2026, qualified as a junior, despite a hiccup on beam. She posted a career high on bars.
Elyse Wenner
Scores: VT: 9.800 | UB: 9.850 | BB: 9.425 | FX: 9.850 | AA: 38.925
- Club: Stallone
- High School Graduation Year: 2025
- Notable Results: 2022 national champion on vault and beam (tied)
- Previous NLC Appearances: 2022 (junior, 12th)
Ella Fine
Scores: VT: 9.675 | UB: 9.525 | BB: 9.100 | FX: 9.550 | AA: 37.850
- Club: High Point
- High School Graduation Year: 2026
- Notable Results: 2022 Region 8 vault champion
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Rochester Classic
Winner (senior division): Skylar Draser
Winner (junior division): Tiana Childress
Former senior elite Skylar Draser qualifier to her first NLC. She dominated a rather weak field, scoring a 9.850 on vault for a powerful Yurchenko one and a half.
In the junior field, Tiana Childress won over an equally weak field to qualify to her first NLC.
Skylar Draser
Scores: VT: 9.850 | UB: 9.500 | BB: 9.475 | FX: 9.450 | AA: 38.275
- Club: Parkettes
- College: Florida
- High School Graduation Year: 2023
- CGN Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Notable Results: 2021 GK U.S. Classic and 2022 Winter Cup competitor
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Tiana Childress
Scores: VT: 9.100 | UB: 9.100 | BB: 8.875 | FX: 9.425 | AA: 36.500
- Club: Gotham
- High School Graduation Year: 2028
- Notable Results: 2022 L9 New York state all around silver medalist
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Charity Choice Invitational
Winner (senior division): Delaynee Rodriguez
Winner (junior division): Ariana Frechette
Kentucky signee Delaynee Rodriguez posted a career high all-around score of 38.950 to qualify to her first NLC.
Ariana Frechette, in the class of 2026, also posted a career high in the all-around, as well as on bars, to qualify to her first NLC as a junior.
Delaynee Rodriguez
Scores: VT: 9.775 | UB: 9.675 | BB: 9.725 | FX: 9.775 | AA: 38.950
- Club: Gymcats
- College: Kentucky
- High School Graduation Year: 2023
- CGN Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Notable Results: 2022 Nevada state all around champion; 2022 national bronze medalist on beam
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Ariana Frechette
Scores: VT: 9.250 | UB: 9.525 | BB: 9.500 | FX: 9.550 | AA: 37.825
- Club: Twin City Twisters
- High School Graduation Year: 2026
- Notable Results: 2022 Minnesota state bronze medalist in the all around
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Jaycie Phelps Midwest Showdown
Winner (senior division): Ady Wahl
Winner (junior division): Esphyr Koren
Georgia commit Ady Wahl had the meet of her life to qualify to her first NLC. She scored a perfect 10.0 on vault, as well as career highs on bars and in the all-around. Her stuck Yurchenko one and a half was gorgeous and will be an asset for the Bulldogs in two years.
Esphyr Koren, in the class of 2027, notched the junior qualification with career highs of her own on vault, bars and in the all-around.
Ady Wahl
Scores: VT: 10.0 | UB: 9.650 | BB: 9.550 | FX: 9.775 | AA: 38.975
Videos: VT
- Club: Zanesville
- College: Georgia
- High School Graduation Year: 2024
- CGN Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Notable Results: 2022 national co-silver medalist on vault; 2022 Region 5 all around champion
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
Esphyr Koren
Scores: VT: 9.300 | UB: 9.500 | BB: 9.125 | FX: 9.400 | AA: 37.325
- Club: Perfection
- High School Graduation Year: 2027
- Notable Results: 2022 Indiana state silver medalist in the all around
- Previous NLC Appearances: N/A
READ THIS NEXT: Nastia Liukin Cup Series: Week 6
Article by Talitha Ilacqua
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