US Nationals 2022 Junior WAG

[GLeigh]

Claire Pease as well but she’s the only other one and she misses by less than a week so Gabrielle Hardie is the only that’s actually really young (Nov 2009)

 

[RedBirdie]

Madray Johnson won, followed by Jayla Hang and Alicia Zhou.

Tiana had another bars disaster, sinking her to 9th.

I’m very curious was happened to Ella Kate Parker after she went to Europe this spring. 1st AA at Winter Cup to dead last among the AAers this weekend. Yikes.

Bars…something is very wrong with how the US is developing bars.

 

[RedBirdie]

1. Madray Johnson 106.600
2. Jayla Hang 104.850
3. Alicia Zhou 104.350
4. Dulcy Caylor 103.400
5. Izzy Stassi 103.050
6. Hezly Rivera 102.600
7. Zoey Molomo 102.550
   – Audrey Snyder 102.550

 

[MaryClare]

I too noticed a real decline in bars. Gymnasts without correct casts attempting full twisting double layout dismounts. I think it’s the result of coaches realising the advantage huge bars difficulty gives you as an AAer.

Let’s hope Chellsie is in charge of that bit and not Alicia

 

[GLeigh]

I think Ella Kate Parker was injured, but this also happened to a lesser extent last year so maybe just CGA pacing. It’s 8 automatic to NT, right? And then they’ll add Tiana Sumanasekera?

 

[cftmoonlight79]

Junior team was top 9(Tiana was 9)

 

[J175]

Saltzmann ended up 14th, so if her routines aren’t difficult enough what does that say about the nearly half the field who scored less?

 

[RedBirdie]

Saltzmann’s bars and beam difficulty are higher than I remembered, she has elite difficulty on those events. And much to her credit, I believe she went 8-for-8 AND doesn’t make me fear for her life. Which is more than I can say about a lot of other juniors this weekend.

But punch front thru to back layout full?

 

[tempest]

who’s the gymnast that eats her leo while vaulting?

 

[rlayt]

Ella Kate Parker now at WOGA. Started that habit at CGA.

 

[tempest]

gracias!

 

[irichluck21]

But punch front thru to back layout full?

Place holder?
Coming back from injury?

 

[tsarinajen]

So from what I’ve read bars was most likely a splat fest. Is this competition rust aka COVID issues, or a precursor for the future? Who took over the Junior program again after Valeri’s promotion and subsequent banishment?

I only ask because usually the top Juniors would do alright against the seniors, but that doesn’t seem to be the case right now.

 

[Passion]

Who took over the Junior program again after Valeri’s promotion and subsequent banishment?

Dan Baker has been in charge of the juniors since Liukin.

 

[RedBirdie]

The bars issues appear to me to be gymnasts doing too much difficulty AND lacking in basics. There were a few that struggled but looked beautiful doing so (Myli Lew), but most of them were just bad. To be honest, I can’t quite believe some of them actually passed elite compulsories.

 

[Passion]

Wasn’t Tom Forster the US national team UB coach before he became the National team Coordinator? Would be ironic if the juniors decline in UB prowess was because he was no longer dedicated to solely coaching UB from 2018-2021 while they were coming up.

Not that there were even any camps in 2020, and there was what, only 2 or 3 in 2021 because of Covid. So maybe the issue is just Covid derailing their developmental years.

 

[tsarinajen]

Ok. That’s what I thought, but when did he leave that position? Valeri hasn’t worked the juniors since 2016…. Six years ago? Time does fly.

 

[Passion]

Valeri was still running the juniors and developmental camps throughout 2017 while he was National Team Coordinator. Marta used to run both as well prior to Valeri taking over the developmental team, the position was initially only split up as training for Valeri to ultimately take over the coordinator position.

Timeline:

February 2018: Liukin resigns, board of directors resigns, Tom Forster named interim elite development program director. Rhonda Faehn is temporarily running the seniors. An interim board of directors is created.

May 2018: Rhonda Faehn is out, Annie Heffernan named VP of Women’s Program. New board of directors is seated. USAG posts the position of “High-Performance Training Coordinator” as open.

June 2018: Tom Forster is named High-Performance Training Coordinator.

August 2018: Mary Lee Tracy is named elite development coordinator. This lasts exactly three days before she’s told to resign (28-31.)

September 2018: Kerry Perry resigns as CEO (4th)

For the rest of 2018 theres a number of board of director resignations and changes and whatever. This is when they almost get de-certified and file bankrupcy. Mary Bono was interim CEO for a day etc. everything is chaos.

January 2019: Dan Baker is named elite development coordinator.

February 2019: Li Li Leung becomes CEO of USAG. Stability returns.

Then of course after 2021 Worlds Tom Forster resigns. The position is split into 3 parts with Dan Baker retaining his role of developmental lead, along with Sacramone (strategic lead) and Memmel (technical lead) in May 2022.

 

[RAFIKI]

I know I lived through all this, but it’s still wild to see the timeline set out in black and white. Chaos is correct.

 

[tsarinajen]

So by default then Tom was technically in charge of the junior program in 2018.

I guess we’ll also see how Chellsie does in her technical advisement — I.e. is it more than just like meet feedback and Zoom or what not.

And yes, pure chaos, but thanks for the timeline!