While this was supposedly a tri meet between the USA (two teams), Canada, and Australia, it seemed more like a chance for Marta Karolyi to prove her 'chosen' team was definitely the strongest possible US team, while Canada and Australia battled for third. US athletes Hollie Vise and Allyse Ishino were both out with injuries. Nonetheless it was a very exciting meet and an opportunity to see what surprises the Canadian and Australian National Teams had in store for Anaheim.

The show stoppers were the the Three Cs: Carly Patterson, Chellsie Memmel, Courtney Kupets. Chellsie had the most points but Carly officially won; Courtney would've won the meet herself had she not counted an uncharacteristic fall on her acro series on beam. This was Carly's fourth meet of the year and her fourth win but it was nice to see some of her teammates challenge her. She vaulted a Yurchenko 1 1/2 (one step) for a 9.350 but ran into trouble on bars, covering up a missed Dawes (1 1/2 pirouette) with two giant fulls. A step on her dismount (tucked 1/2 in, 1/2 out) left her with a decent 9.300. Nothing new on beam.. she nearly outclassed the field doing one of the most difficult routines in the world: nice back handspring, layout to 2 feet; wobble on front aerial, back tuck; great punch front, sheep jump; step on double Arabian dismount. And as usual, she cheated the switch leap 1/2! Who really cares if you can't hit 140 degrees when you can do a double Arabian dismount? Apparently not the judges, they gave her a 9.575. She's had her current floor routine for three years but she really has improved leaps and bounds (well.. maybe not Hollie Vise's leaps) in the presentation department. Before it looked like Viktoria Karpenko had been teaching her expression, now it looks like she is fully aware she is performing! Tumbling wise, she took a small step back on her 1/2 in-1/2 out; a small step forward on Arabian double front; the 2 1/2 twist to front layout that was nearly her demise in Fairfax was a lot more controlled here, although a little close to going out of bounds; excellent double pike for a 9.450. I don't think anyone can argue that Carly can tumble, but if she wants to win Worlds (which she is fully capable of doing) then she definitely needs to either a) clean up her dance combinations, b) cheat them better.

Courtney Kupets really seemed to drop out of everyone's memory by last year's Nationals and was a huge surprise (to most) to the World team. After winning the World title on bars, everyone seemed to again write her off.. "Yeah, she's pretty good on bars." Now she's going full throttle, becoming a standout gymnast on everything but vault (nice Omelianchik, one step for a 9.275). Bars was great as usual, taking her toe-shoot and hop-full to Tkatchev to new heights, taking just a tinny stutter-step on her dismount for a 9.700. Courtney took a nasty fall on her acroseries (back handspring, layout stepout, layout stepout) and the rest of her set was shaky: tour jete 1/2 (not to full split), front aerial, punch front to back tuck, gainer layout to 1-armed back handspring (pause), step on double back dismount for an 8.925. Floor is where she really shines: whip 1/2 to double front (stuck), double Arabian (step), double turn to Popa (excellent), switch leap to Gogean (cheated), triple twist (excellent, stuck), double pike (step) for a 9.600 and first place on the event. Her Iranian music suits her and gets the crowd involved so kudos to Hill's for again having great music selection.

Memmel is definitely one of the most unique gymnasts out there, not the cleanest or blessed with the best toe point, but very cool. She vaulted an Omelianchik for a 9.200 and was phenomenal on bars and beam. Last year it looked like Hollie Vise had the (potential) bars/beam specialist slot locked up but apparently Nicole Harris and Chellsie didn't agree. Chellsie showed a sky high Hindorff to Pak salto, great Endo work on the high bar, and a jam dislocate immediately into a STUCK double front which alone deserved a 9.750! Beam is just too easy for her so she has to create some crazy combinations to challenge herself or something: barani to back handspring, illusion, Arabian, punch front to Yang Bo, double pike (step) for a 9.550. You know, the skills we all chuck walking down the street. She reminds me more and more of Produnova each meet, especially on floor. She's so aggressive and her tumbling is insanity: running double front (step), two whips through to double Arabian (small step, luckily she doesn't travel too far forward on her double Arabian or else she'd be consistently out of bounds), 2 1/2 twist to tucked barani (normally does a full but seemed off, very low), double pike (step forward) for a 9.225. I love how Chellsie's coach Jim Chudy has picked the perfect routine for her - it's not pretty but she works with what she has. The routine is filled with "acrochoreography" (illusion full; double turn in Y; back extension to pause in handstand, roll through to front headspring) that not only excites the crowd, adds variety to her routine, but hides the fact that she's not exactly a prima ballerina.

Annia Hatch made a firm statement after her mistakes at the American Cup that she can do more than just vault... although when you can vault like her, who needs anything else? Perfect technique, perfect form, about ten meters away from the horse, and perfectly stuck as usual for a 9.725. Bars is her weakest event, not because she doesn't have the skills but she always seems to struggle through her routine: jump to handstand on the low bar to stalder shoot, clear hip 1/2 to Jaeger, overshoot to toe-shoot (muscled kip out of it), hop-full to Tkatchev, tucked full-in (stuck) for a 9.350. Taking Marta's advice from American Cup, she dropped her running beam mount and now simply hops on the side of the beam. She stuck her standing full here too. For someone who doesn't have the best form or flexibility (hers isn't bad.. it just isn't great), she picks some interesting skills: switch leap 3/4, sheep jump, switch leap to switch ring. The rest of her routine is composed of a punch front, 1-armed back handspring to layout stepout, tuck jump 1/1, roundoff to sky-high double back (one step) for a 9.000. Floor is a complete 180 from beam, she's much more confident, and who wouldn't be if you could do a double layout, tucked full-in, 2 1/2 twist to front full, and a double pike.. and stick them all? She really performs to the crowd throughout her routine too, smiling and making the most of her choreography and music. Unfortunately her dance combinations are not completed; her double turn to tuck jump 2/1 looked more like a tuck 3/2; same story with her Gogean; but her cat leap 2/1 to full turn was nice. I'm just you're getting sick of me harping on dance combinations but unfortunately they're in the Code so we have to deal with them; her score was a 9.550.

Ashley Postell looked in good shape here. She vaulted a great layout Podkopayeva (roundoff 1/2 on, front layout 1/2 off) for a 9.350. On bars she showed a clean and high toe-on 1/2 to Jaeger, some excellent work on the low bar started off by a Pak salto to stalder full, and a giant 1/2 to double front (hop) for a 9.550. The World Champion on beam did her best to 'defend her title' (although she was 2nd to Nicole Harris) with an excellent punch front to sheep jump combination, switch leap to Rulfova, connect series of Kochetkova to back handspring to layout, tuck jump 1/1 to Omelianchik (great!), and roundoff to triple twist (step). Her choreography and presentation is so excellent - her 9.625 was well deserved. Unfortunately floor isn't quite the same; her choreography is flat out bland and just poor! She seemed really enthused about the routine but she scored only an 8.900 with the just overdone choreography and her tumbling not up to par: double Arabian (step), 2 1/2 twist to front layout (step), front double twist (two big backward steps), cheated cat leap 2/1, triple twist (low, step). Not to say the routine is terrible, her tuck jump 2/1 to knees is great and her triple turn is fully completed, but her choreography doesn't look anything like Capital normally produces. Her routine only two months ago at PKI was excellent and seemed to fit her a lot better... so who called for the change?

You wouldn't know Nicole Harris went to Parkettes unless someone told you: excellent bar worker, excellent beam worker, great dancer, great flexibility, struggling a bit on floor. Replacing injured Hollie Vise, she started on floor: slightly cheated triple turn just a bit; then went out of bounds BEFORE her triple twist (fully completed, small step); had a nice double turn with leg at horizontal to tuck jump 2/1; two whips to a double pike (floor seemed to come up too fast, one foot bounced out of bounds); switch ring to tour jete; front handspring to front double twist (sloppy, one step); 2 1/2 twist (stuck); cat leap 2/1 (a little cheated) for a low 8.400. She took a step on her piked Lucconi for a 9.200 but then it was on to bars and beam and better things for Harris. If you've never seen this routine, you are really missing something: Maloney to uprise full to Tkatchev to Pak to toe-on full on the low bar; SKY-HIGH toe-shoot; two giants to a tucked full-in dismount (a tad-bit sloppy with a small hop) - complete with excellent form, toe point, and swing for a 9.625. Beam is where she really shines; outscoring World Champion Postell, Patterson, and Memmel. She opened with a nice layout mount; stuck her back tuck full; nice switch ring (small bobble); nice connection of front aerial to Onodi (trouble with form); and overall great leaps, flexibility, form, and unique choreography (great back walkover variation) and a solid landing on her double tuck (one step) for a meet high on the event of a 9.675.

The rest of the US contingent showed flashes of brilliance too. Tabitha Yim was placed on USA Red despite still recovering from an Achilles injury that kept her off the World team. She vaulted a great Yurchenko 1 1/2 for a 9.475 and showed new skills on bars (Maloney to Pak) but fell out of what was most likely a Dawes and hopped on her tucked full-in dismount for a 9.200. Missed connections on beam left her with a lower start value and a 9.025 and watered down tumbling (double twist dismount but still included her triple twist) gave her a 9.200 on floor. Terin Humphrey was exciting as ever, performing brilliantly on floor: stuck double Arabian, piked full-in (steps), 1 1/2 through to 2 1/2, excellent triple twist to close. Her beautiful and expressive choreography, matched with one of the most difficult routines in the world, really makes a person wonder why she didn't even MAKE floor finals at Worlds, much less win the title. One of the country's best vaulters, she opted to go with a secure Yurchenko 1 1/2 for a 9.425 but counted a fall on bars while doing her stalder full to hop full to Gienger combination. She has improved her pirouettes and her full-twisting double layout dismount for an impressive score of 8.950 (impressive counting a fall). She was a little wobbly and just off throughout her beam routine, correcting her Kochetkova series just in time for a 9.275.

Tia Orlando was phenomenal on floor (double layout, running double twist to punch front full to punch front, piked full-in, running double front) as always for a 9.550 and had an improved double-twisting Yurchenko for a 9.275. She struggled with casts and pirouettes on bars for a 9.175 and then fell on her beam mount (front handspring, front tuck) for an 8.650. Nina Kim stuck her tucked full-in on floor and nearly everything else (front double twist to front full, 2 1/2 to front layout, double twist) for a 9.075 and then nailed her Yurchenko 1 1/2 for a 9.500. Though she's improved on bars, she still has a long way to go, scoring a 9.200 for a hit routine (Tkatchev, tucked full-in) and then fell on her back tuck full on beam for an 8.600. Katie Heenan's tumbling wasn't difficult enough (front double twist, double twist, double pike) to break a 9, scoring an 8.550. She stuck a Yurchenko full for a 9.225 and was excellent on bars (Maloney to overshoot to toe shoot, clear hip 1/2 to Jaeger, toe on 1/2 to double front) for a 9.600 but struggled with connections on beam for an 8.475. Marcia Newby had strong tumbling to go with her dramatic music (whip to double Arabian but nearly stepped out, stuck piked full-in, gorgeous triple twist, low double pike) and nearly stuck her Lucconi for a 9.100 on both events. She tossed a Shaposhnikova to overshoot, a Jaeger, a Tkatchev, and a Fontaine dismount for a 9.175 on bars but fell on her Arabian on beam for a 8.125. Sarah Shire was going strong on floor (piked full-in, slightly sloppy triple twist) until she went out of bounds on a 2 1/2 twist to punch front and fell on her double pike for an 8.125. Her highest score of the day came on vault, where her double-twisting Yurchenko got a 9.450. On bars she had a nice pirouette sequence starting with a Kim and ending with a Gienger and then stuck a beautiful tucked full-in for an 8.550 but was wobbly on beam (stuck double pike dismount) for an 8.725.

Gael Mackie is definitely going to be a major contender once she gets consistent. Falling three times on her best event, beam, kept her down in the standings (she would've been 9th with an extra 1.5 added to her 8.150). She vaulted a Yurchenko full for a 9.075 and on bars she showed some excellent form and smooth pirouettes: Dawes, giant full, overshoot, toe-shoot; toe-on 1/2 to L-grip, piked Jaeger (near fall after catching one hand); stuck tucked-full in dismount for an 8.475. This just wasn't her meet, particularly after coming back from an ankle injury that kept her out of the American Cup. Teammate Amelie Plante performed a Def (full-twisting Gienger), clear hip 1/1, clear hip 1/2 to Gienger, overshoot, and a double layout for a 9.025 (9.6 SV). It's unfortunate if you do a super E and you don't have a 9.9 or 10.0 SV. Kylie Stone is also strong on bars, mounting with a jump to handstand 1/2 to a clear hip 1/2, Healy to Jaeger, overshoot to toe shoot, double front (step) for an 8.650. Stone vaulted an excellent Lucconi for a 9.325 and was the only non-American in the top 10. Heather Purnell uses 'Victory' by Bond on floor and she really shouldn't. She is a decent tumbler (piked full-in, 2 1/2 twist, double pike) and has some nice dance combinations (good triple turn) but the music is designed for a strong dancer. Unfortunately she fell on her acroseries on beam for an 8.225 - nearly the entire Canadian team suffered a fall on beam.

Although this was Lisa Skinner's return to competition for the first time since the Sydney Olympic Games, she struggled throughout the meet. She was sluggish on floor (her Arabian Nights routine from Sydney), fell off beam, and vaulted only a layout Yurchenko. However, she is 22, hasn't competed in two years, and looked even more improved the next weekend at the Friendship Classic. She should be in excellent shape by Anaheim. Stephanie Moorhouse looked much better on bars then the last time we saw her at WOGA Classic, scoring a 9.350: giant full to Tkatchev; Pak salto; Healy to double front. Stephanie, like the rest of her Australian team, struggled on beam (front aerial to back handspring to layout; punch front; switch side leap to straddle jump 1/2; Shushunova 1/1) for an 8.275. She was strong on vault (very hollow Hristakieva) for a 9.025 and floor (nice 2 1/2 twist to front layout, cheated triple twist, poor Gogean, well-covered Popa to tuck 2/1, stuck double pike) for an 8.900. Jacqui Dunn didn't compete on floor but was solid on vault (9.075) and great on bars for a 9.275 (9.7 SV): Comaneci; stalder 1/2 to L-grip, front giant, Ono, Jaeger; Pak; tucked full-in (hop). Danielle Kelly showed nice lines and clean form but lacked difficulty while Hayley Wright did perhaps the most beautiful beam mount of all time with her press to handstand and planche variations.

TEAM RESULTS
Team Name	Total Score
USA Red	151.700
USA Blue	147.500
Canada	142.375
Australia	142.200

 

ALL AROUND RESULTS
Name	VT	UB	BB	FX	AA
*. Chellsie Memmel - USA	9.200	9.750	9.550	9.225	37.725
1. Carly Patterson - USA	9.350	9.300	9.575	9.450	37.675
*. Annia Hatch - USA	9.725	9.350	9.000	9.550	37.625
2. Courtney Kupets - USA	9.275	9.700	8.925	9.600	37.500
3. Ashley Postell - USA	9.350	9.550	9.650	8.900	37.450
4. Nicole Harris - USA	9.200	9.625	9.675	8.400	36.900
5. Tabitha Yim - USA	9.475	9.200	9.025	9.200	36.900
6. Terin Humphrey - USA	9.425	8.950	9.275	9.100	36.750
7. Tia Orlando - USA	9.275	9.175	8.650	9.550	36.650
8. Nina Kim - USA	9.500	9.200	8.600	9.075	36.375
9. Katie Heenan - USA	9.225	9.600	8.475	8.550	35.850
10. Kylie Stone - CAN	9.325	8.650	8.750	9.050	35.775
11. Steph Moorhouse - AUS	9.025	9.350	8.275	8.900	35.550
12. Monette Russo - AUS	9.200	8.975	9.475	7.850	35.500
12. Marcia Newby - USA	9.100	9.175	8.125	9.100	35.500
14. Heather Purnell - CAN	9.400	8.850	8.225	9.000	35.475
15. Melanie Banville - CAN	9.125	8.825	8.250	9.200	35.400
16. Sarah Shire - USA	9.450	8.850	8.725	8.125	35.150
17. Danielle Kelly - AUS	8.925	8.500	8.450	8.700	34.575
18. Lisa Skinner - AUS	8.750	8.750	8.350	8.725	34.575
19. Lydia Williams - CAN	9.150	8.150	9.075	8.175	34.550
20. Gael Mackie - CAN	9.075	8.475	8.150	8.650	34.350
21. Hayley Tyell - AUS	9.100	8.725	8.600	7.900	34.325
22. Amelie Plante - CAN	8.550	9.025	7.525	7.350	32.450
23. Hayley Wright - AUS	8.500	7.400	7.150	8.575	31.625
24. Jacqui Dunn - AUS	9.050	9.275	8.975		27.300

Photos © Don Johnson