Full Twist contributor Anna Rose Johnson gives us to low down on how to follow the Secret US Classic.
The 2014 Secret U.S. Classic takes place on August 1-2, at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Among the scheduled competitors include 2013 World All-Around Champion Simone Biles and 2012 Olympic Team Champion Kyla Ross. The Secret Classic is the final women’s qualifying meet to the P&G Championships.
Participants
Please note that this is the current list available at the time of writing the article, any recent withdrawals have not been noted.
Seniors
- Alyssa Baumann (WOGA Gymnastics)
- Simone Biles (World Champions Centre)
- Madison Desch (Great American Gymnastics Express)
- Brenna Dowell (Great American Gymnastics Express)
- Peyton Ernst (Texas Dreams Gymnastics)
- Rachel Gowey (Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute)
- Felicia Hano (Gym-Max Gymnastics)
- Veronica Hults (Texas Dreams Gymnastics)
- Amelia Hundley (Cincinnati Gymnastics)
- Madison Kocian (WOGA Gymnastics)
- Ashton Locklear (Everest Gymnastics)
- Maggie Nichols (Twin City Twisters)
- Samantha Ogden (WOGA Gymnastics)
- Lexie Priessman (Perfection Gymnastics School)
- Melissa Reinstadtler (Rebound Gymnastics Inc.)
- Kyla Ross (Gym-Max Gymnastics)
- Emily Schild (Everest Gymnastics)
- MyKayla Skinner (Desert Lights Gymnastics)
- Macy Toronjo (Texas Dreams Gymnastics)
Juniors
- Shania Adams (Buckeye Gymnastics)
- McKenna Appleton (Hill’s Gymnastics)
- Elena Arenas (Georgia Elite Gymnastics)
- Rachel Baumann (WOGA Gymnastics)
- Aria Brusch (Cincinnati Gymnastics)
- Jordan Chiles (Naydenov Gymnastics Inc.)
- Kaitlin DeGuzman (Metroplex Gymnastics
- Nia Dennis (Buckeye Gymnastics)
- Christina Desiderio (Parkettes National Gymnastics Center)
- Olivia Dunne (Eastern National Academy of Paramus)
- Bailey Ferrer (Orlando Metro Gymnastics)
- Rachael Flam (Stars Gymnastics Training Center-Houston)
- Norah Flatley (Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute)
- Jazmyn Foberg (MG Elite)
- Molly Frack (Parkettes National Gymnastics Center)
- Margzetta Frazier (Parkettes National Gymnastics Center)
- Megan Freed (Parkettes National Gymnastics Center)
- Emily Gaskins (Cincinnati Gymnastics)
- Kailey Gillings (Stars Gymnastics Training Center-Houston)
- Delanie Harkness (Twistars USA Inc.)
- Morgan Hurd (First State Gymnastics)
- Sydney Johnson-Scharpf (Brandy Johnson’s Global Gymnastics)
- Shilese Jones (Auburn Gymnastics Center Inc.)
- Hannah Joyner (First in Flight)
- Adeline Kenlin (Iowa Gym-Nest)
- Bailie Key, Montgomery (Texas Dreams Gymnastics)
- Taylor Lawson (Parkettes National Gymnastics Center)
- Abigail Matthews (Cincinnati Gymnastics)
- Emily Muhlenhaupt (Colorado Aerials Gymnastics Center)
- Maggie Musselman (Hill’s Gymnastics)
- Lauren Navarro (Charter Oak Gymnastics)
- Victoria Nguyen (Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute)
- Maile O’Keefe (Salcianu)
- Marissa Oakley (Phenom Gymnastics)
- Abby Paulson (Twin City Twisters)
- Gabby Perea (Legacy Elite Gymnastics LLC)
- Adriana Popp (Girls In Co-Operation Gymnastics Training Center I)
- Grace Quinn (Texas Dreams Gymnastics)
- Madison Rau (Cypress Academy of Gymnastics)
- Makenzie Sedlacek (Illinois Gymnastics Institute Inc.)
- Alyona Shchennikova (TIGAR)
- Megan Skaggs (Gymnastics Academy of Atlanta)
- Caitlin Smith (Paramount Elite Gymnastics)
- Ragan Smith (Texas Dreams Gymnastics)
- Deanne Soza (Arete Gymnastics)
- Olivia Trautman (Twin City Twisters)
- Alexis Vasquez (Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute)
- Anastasia Webb (Illinois Gymnastics Institute Inc.)
Hopes
- Mackenzie Barile (Desert Lights)
- Nikki Beckwith (Buckeye Gymnastics)
- Meleah Bell (Girls Co-Op)
- Jordan Bowers (Solid Rock)
- Alexa Brinker (Parkettes)
- Brooke Butler (American Twisters)
- Amelia Cassaday (Parkettes)
- Nevaeh DeSouza (Dream Xtreme)
- Erin Elkabchi (SCEGA)
- Baleigh Garcia (American Twisters)
- Jaylene Gilstrap (Metroplex)
- Trista Goodman (Salcianu)
- Jasmine Harris (SCEGA)
- Ruby Hernandez (SCEGA)
- Jillian Hoffman (SCEGA)
- Mikayla Hotaling (American Twisters)
- Lilly Hudson (VEGA)
- Madelynn LaCoe (Girls Co-Op)
- Eliana Lazzari (GymNasti)
- Sunisa Lee (Midwest Gym Central)
- Lauren Letzsch (TIGAR)
- Amoree Lockhart (Empire)
- Cameron Machado (First State)
- Sophia McClelland (Paramount Elite)
- Anna McGee (Georgia Elite)
- Savannah Miller (Oakland)
- Tienna Nguyen (Zenith Elite)
- Kristen Quick (Wallers GymJam)
- Adeline Sabados (Colorado Aerials)
- Genevieve Sabado-Baez (Gliders)
- Cienna Samiley (Gold Medal)
- Abigail Scanlon (Capital)
- Katelyn Searle (Paramount Elite)
- Kalyany Steele (Colorado Aerials)
- Mickayla Stuckey (Perfection Gymnastics School)
- Tori Tatum (Legacy Gymnastics)
- Courtney Tsunoda (Azarian)
- Deanna West (WOGA Gymnastics)
Timing and Schedule
All of these times are Central. To find the time zone in your own area compare this time against your time zone here.
Friday, August 1st
- U.S. Challenge – 2:30 PM
Saturday, August 2nd
- Junior Competition – 1:00 PM
- Senior Competition – 6:30 PM
Qualification Procedures
As a qualifying meet to the P&G Championships (August 21-24), the U.S. Classic is important on the road to the Nanning World Championships.
Junior gymnasts who have not already qualified to P&Gs must score 52.00 in the all-around at the U.S. Classic in order to qualify. Senior gymnasts must score 54.00 in the all-around at U.S. Classic. They can also qualify if they compete three events and score at least 41.25, or compete two events and score at least 28.00. Because of the huge number of Juniors competing, 9 will comepte alongside the Seniors, with their scores obviously only applicable to the Junior competition.
Online & Television Coverage
Live streaming and other details will be available here. All of the sessions listed above in the schedule will be streamed on the website.
Universal Sports will broadcast the senior competition live on their television network and on their website here. Commentary will be provided by Tim Daggett, John Roethlisberger, and Amanda Borden.
USA Gymnastics will be covering the meet through their social platforms. On Twitter, the official hashtag of the meet is #SecretClassic, and USA Gymnastics will be on and .
Routines from the junior and senior divisions of the Secret Classic will be posted by USA Gymnastics on Gymnastics.
If any other live feed becomes available we will post it on the Full Twist and .
Full Twist will provide a podium training update on August 1st with comments from some of the gymnasts. Podium training will be live streamed on the USAG YouTube Channel.
U.S. Challenge
For the first time ever, USA Gymnastics will be streaming the U.S. Challenge, which is the largest meet for Hopes gymnasts (pre-elites). Full Twist contributor Anna Rose Johnson caught up with some of the competitors about their goals for the meet.
Jordan Bowers, Solid Rock Gymnastics: “I just turned 11 and this is my first elite meet. I just want to have fun, enjoy the experience and learn from it. I would like to shoot for no falls.”
Brooke Butler, American Twisters: “When I came to Twisters about nine months ago, I saw Mikayla [Hotaling] and Baleigh [Garcia] and was so impressed they made it to Chicago. Ever since I saw them my goal was to make it to Chicago one day. And now I made it, so I tell myself to keep calm and remember I made it here because I’m a great gymnast, and what happens that day doesn’t make or break you.”
Nevaeh DeSouza, Dream Xtreme: “I am excited to compete on podium for the first time. My goals are to improve my execution score on bars, and my difficulty score on beam by connecting skills. I’ve also been working on my landing on vault, and presentation on floor. I’m also excited to compete my FIG routines to gain experience to help me qualify elite next year.”
Erin Elkabchi, SCEGA: “Going to this meet I will be aggressive and do what I am capable of doing!”
Baleigh Garcia, American Twisters: “I love gymnastics. It’s my life.This is my second year competing in the U.S. Challenge. Most importantly, my goals are to stay on every apparatus, hit every routine, and to stay consistent throughout the meet. I also want to remain in 1st place and to attend more developmental camps at the ranch in Texas. Ultimately I want to become a junior/senior international elite and Olympic/National Team member.”
Jaylene Gilstrap, Metroplex: “This is my first time at an elite competition and I am excited to compete with such great gymnasts. My goal for the Challenge is to go out and perform the best I can.”
Ruby Hernandez, SCEGA: “[My goals are to] do my skills to the best of my abilities, go out there and have fun!”
Jillian Hoffman, SCEGA: “[My goals are to] have fun and dream big!!”
Mikayla Hotaling, American Twisters: “I love gymnastics, the gym is my second home. My goals for this meet are to stay on every apparatus, make my routines solid, and place in the top ten. My ultimate goal is to compete as an international elite gymnast further years ahead of me.”
Amoree Lockhart, Empire Gymnastics Academy: “I’m really excited to compete at the Challenge meet and my main goal for the competition is to compete four clean routines.”
Savannah Miller, Oakland Gymnastics: “[My goals are] 1, to hit my routines – 4 for 4; 2, to gain experience in my first podium competition; 3, to keep good form and good technique throughout; 4, to represent my gym and coaches well; and 5, to give a performance that makes me proud of myself.”
Tienna Nguyen, Zenith Elite: “I’ve been working really hard, especially on bars and upgrading my skills on beam and floor. My goals for the US Challenge are to be able to hit my routines well and finish strong since it’s my last meet for this season.”
Mickayla Stuckey, Perfection Gymnastics School: “The US Challenge is my first podium meet, so I am really excited to see what that is like! My goals for the meet are to hit four clean routines and to finish in the top 10!”
Many thanks to these gymnasts for chatting with Full Twist!
