Four Rising Stars Gymnasts Head to Highest Level of Competition

The Rising Stars Gymnastics Academy Level 9 and 10 gymnasts competed April 20-21 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in the Region 4 Championships.  Regionals gathers the top gymnasts from 7 states:  Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Gymnasts with the top All-Around scores in their age groups at Regionals qualify to advance to the highest level of USA Gymnastics Women’s Junior Olympics (J.O.) competition. 

Each Rising Stars gymnast medaled at Regionals.  Four Rising Stars gymnasts extend their seasons.  Gymnasts Amy Enright and Mary Jane Rott fly out to Hampton, Virgina in mid-May, joining with the best Level 10 gymnasts from across the nation at the 2012 National Championships.  Isabella Mascia and Jessica Chiu will represent Rising Stars and Region 4 on their first trip to the 2012 Level 9 Western Championships.  Westerns is the pinnacle of the Level 9 competition season.  Top gymnasts representing the western-half of the United States convene in Boise, Idaho in early May.

The Level 10 team was divided into three age groups.  High school junior Mary Jane Rott started off first as Regionals opened up Friday morning.  The petite Rott dominated the Senior B awards podium with a first place finish on All-Around (37.875) and an automatic qualification for Nationals.  Rott also claimed first place on Bars (9.35), Balance Beam (9.525), and Floor Exercise (9.475) and won second place on Vault (9.525).  Level 10 teammates and high school sophomores, Amy Enright and Brittany Hadj-Romdhane, competed next in the Friday noon session.  In Junior-C, Amy Enright placed 6^th in the All-Around (36.225) and qualified for her first trip to Nationals.  Enright turned in high scores on Vault (9.025) and medaled on Uneven Bars (3^rd – 9.375) and Floor (9.125).  In Junior-D, Brittany Hadj-Romdhane scored big recording a personal high on Beam (2^nd – 9.575) as well as medaling on Vault (9.425) and Floor (9.40).

The Level 9 team also competed in three different age groups.  Laura Broten competed in the final Friday session.  In the Junior-C group, Broten medaled with her dynamic routine on Floor (9.225).  Level 9 teammates Isabella Mascia and Jessica Chiu rounded out the competition for the Rising Stars on Saturday noon.  Mascia and Chiu both went 4-for-4 hitting each routine.  In the Junior-A group, Isabella Mascia drew high scores for Vault (9.025), Beam (9.325), and Floor (9.30).  In her first year as a competing Level 9 gymnast, Mascia qualified to Westerns with her top score of the season and 12^th place All-Around finish (36.50).  In Junior-B, Jessica Chiu turned in her season high All-Around (37.075) which translated into a 6^th place medal and a ticket to compete at Westerns.  Chiu collected three more medals: Vault (9.175), Beam (9.20), and Floor (9.425).

The Rising Stars Gymnastics Academy teams train in Oakdale under Elena and Pavel Miligoulo.  For more information, call (651) 730-4376.