This year’s explosive World Championships wrapped up less than a month ago, but things are already back to business at the Karolyi Ranch in Texas.
The U.S. women’s national team headed back to Huntsville last Friday, November 13, for their first full camp since nationals. Well, nearly full. According to national team coordinator Martha Karolyi, members of the worlds team are “taking a well-deserved break to refresh physically and mentally for a strong December camp.” At the September camp, only worlds contenders and juniors with upcoming international assignments were invited, so this was the first time the bulk of the U.S. juniors were back together since August.
The camp was a working camp with no full routine work, according to USA Gymnastics. “The five-day camp [included] verification of skills and combinations into soft or hard surfaces. All athletes attending the camp [continued] to refine their technical execution, upgrade their dance preparation, and participate in physical abilities testing.”
As of today, the final day at camp, no new members of the U.S. national team have been named. With five of the six current members of the junior national team becoming seniors in six weeks, we can likely expect a handful of juniors named either in December or at the start of the new year.
Participants at this camp included:
Seniors
Rachel Gowey, Chow’s
Amelia Hundley, Cincinnati
Bailie Key, Texas Dreams
Ashton Locklear, Everest
Lauren Navarro, Gliders
Kyla Ross, Gym-Max
Emily Schild, Everest
Megan Skaggs, Gym Academy of Atlanta
Juniors
Shania Adams, Buckeye
Elena Arenas, Georgia Elite
Jordan Chiles, Naydenov
Christina Desiderio, Parkettes
Norah Flatley, Chow’s
Jazmyn Foberg, MG Elite
Margzetta Frazier, Atlantic Coast
Megan Freed, Parkettes
Laurie Hernandez, MG Elite
Morgan Hurd, First State
Sydney Johnson-Scharpf, Brandy Johnson’s
Shilese Jones, Buckeye
Emma Malabuyo, Texas Dreams
Victoria Nguyen, Chow’s
Maile O’Keefe, Salcianu
Grace Quinn, Texas Dreams
Alyona Shchennikova, 5280
Ragan Smith, Texas Dreams
Deanne Soza, Arete
Olivia Trautman, Twin City Twisters
Trinity Thomas, Prestige
Most notably missing was worlds team contender Nia Dennis, who wrote on her ask.fm account that a “turn of unfortunate events” occurred as she was about to leave. Dennis suffered from a foot injury at the worlds selection camp, though it’s unknown whether her mishap last week was related to injury or something else. Alyssa Baumann was also missing, though all other senior national competitors were present aside from those who traveled to Glasgow.
The junior field saw the return of Chow’s gymnasts Norah Flatley and Victoria Nguyen, both of whom missed competition this summer due to injury.
Next up for Team USA is the Top Gym competition for junior international elites in Charleroi, Belgium at the end of this month. Ragan Smith and Jordan Chiles are expected to compete there with Sydney Johnson-Shcharpf as the alternate.
Article by Lauren Hopkins
The Gymternet 
When is it that seniors have to have their routines fixed before the Olympics? I heard somewhere it was December but maybe I’m making it up? Also, do you think Aly, for example, is reworking her beam routine?
Thanks!
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For 2012, Martha gave them until December to get everything together…I think not everything had to be perfect, but they had to go to her with everything they planned on upgrading to in 2012, even if the upgrades were still yet to come (like Gabby had a bunch of pirouette upgrades on bars that she could never fully add though she kept trying to at various points throughout the year). I would HOPE Aly is reworking beam! They need to figure something out to up her d-score that doesn’t involve connecting everything unless she magically improves at making those connections.
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Thanks for the reply and info! 2016 is coming round so quickly- geez!
I really hope Aly’s reworking that beam too! She was/is so steady but those scores certainly won’t secure her place for next year. Fingers crossed!
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Schennikova’s not at TIGAR anymore? I didn’t realize she’d moved to 5280.
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Yep, they both moved after nationals!
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Is Jordan chiles not going with ragan smith to the comp. at the end of the month?
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Oh, yes! Sorry, I knew I was forgetting her!
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No Gabby Perea?
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No! A few juniors are missing…Gabby’s the highest-ranked who’s missing, though, so I’m sure she was invited…possibly dealing with a nagging injury or something.
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Wait, wasn’t Christina the alternate for Top Gym since she was 5th over Sydney’s 6th?
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I believe even though Christina placed higher, Sydney was given the alternate spot.
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I can see that happening. I just remember seeing reports when the initial Junior assignments went out that it was Christina, but looking back at the articles, they only mention Ragan as the Japan alternate. I’m probably just remembering people’s assumptions that they went in order of placements.
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Do you think maddie desch is done with elite and focusing on NCAA?
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In the updated Top Gym roster, both Americans are missing. Do you think this was an oversight, or were they pulled?
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I think they might have pulled out due to terrorism fears. Which majorly sucks for them.
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I think they pulled put due to terrorism fears, which sucks especially for Ragan since she’s Rio eligible.
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I thought I read somewhere that there was a death somewhere in Nia’s gym family or personal family that was the unfortunate turn of events. Maybe I misread, but I could’ve sworn I saw that in gymternet discussions on tumblr.
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