Cassie Tan

At this weekend’s Next Era national qualifier held in Seattle, two juniors – Cassie Tan of Pacific Reign and Sadie Drake of Advantage Gymnastics – became the newest gymnasts to reach the elite level in the United States.

Both Tan and Drake are in their final year of junior eligibility and previously competed at the Hopes level. Tan swept the 13-14 age group at Hopes Championships last year, where Drake finished in 11th place. This competition was Tan’s first attempt at making it to the elite level this season, with her score of 49.000 half a point higher than the score required to qualify, while Drake fell about half a point short in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, but in Seattle, she earned a 48.500, exactly what she needed to move forward.

The pair were the only two juniors at this meet, while three athletes competed in the senior field, though none earned their elite status here. Sophia Buechler of Midwest Gymnastics, the sole senior all-arounder, increased her score by two points compared to her outing in Las Vegas, but with a 47.050 she still fell several points short of reaching the 50.500 needed to qualify, and no combination of her apparatus scores was high enough to get her a spot as a specialist.

Gymnastics Olympica athletes Carsyn Coleman and Audree Valdenarro competed three events apiece here, and though Coleman had the highest vault score with a 13.000 and Valendarro topped bars with a 12.550, either earned the required two- or three-event scores.

In the Hopes 13-14 division, Hannah Darling of Advantage Gymnastics was the sole qualifier in a field of seven athletes, earning a 46.800, while three athletes earned their scores in the Hopes 11-12 division, including Scarlett Salamanca of Pacific Reign with a 45.300, Jasmine Causey of Ascend Gymnastics with a 44.900, and Sae Hyun Yu of Airborne Gymnastics with a 44.600, though Hyun Yu had already qualified in Las Vegas, so this was just a bonus boost of confidence for the newcomer.

Fore more information, check out the complete results, and to see a full list of all athletes who have qualified to the elite level and to national championships, check out our U.S. elite tracker.

The next qualifier for U.S. athletes is at the Rochester Classic in upstate New York, with the elite optional sessions taking place on February 13.

Article by Lauren Hopkins