Simone Biles made what everyone already knows official. At this point in USA gymnastics, she is in a league of her own. She decisively won back to back U.S. National Championship titles, this time by over four points – with a fall. Over a two day competition, she looked incredibly strong, relaxed and consistent until the very end of her beam routine where she fell. And when you are so far ahead that you are competing with yourself, that is frustrating. But on the scoreboard it hardly mattered. Biles also walked away with the national title on floor and vault.
Kyla Ross won her second silver national all-around title, as well as her second national beam title. Ross is also in a league of her own this year firmly capturing the silver despite two uncharacteristic falls on night one. Ross proved to everyone that she is indeed human on the first day of competition with a fall on floor and on bars. Her almost inhuman consistency and perfection are marveled at around the world, and they returned in full force on night two, where she earned the highest execution score total.
Maggie Nichols, the only gymnast on the medal podium to hit eight for eight routines, took the bronze. At this championship, Nichols put an exclamation point on her statement from the U.S. Secret Classics. She is a consistent all-around gymnast who can be depended upon to hit on any event. She also won the bronze on bars, an important event in USA gymnastics.
Apart from the three all-arounders, Ashton Locklear made quite a splash at this competition, easily winning the uneven bars national title. Between the national championships and classics earlier this month, she has posted the highest bar’s scores in the world this year with her incredibly clean and difficult bar routine.
The top six all-around gymnasts were automatically added to the national team. Additionally, four more gymnasts who were named to the Pan American Games team were also added. Ross and Biles, who have loads of international experience were left off the team, letting other gymnasts gain much needed international competition experience.
U.S. Senior National Team
Alyssa Baumann, Plano, Texas/WOGA, Simone Biles, Spring, Texas/World Champions Centre, Madison Desch, Blue Springs, Mo./GAGE, Brenna Dowell, Odessa, Mo./GAGE, Amelia Hundley, Fairfield, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, Madison Kocian, Dallas/WOGA, Ashton Locklear, Huntersville, N.C./Everest Gymnastics, Maggie Nichols, Little Canada, Minn./Twin City Twisters, Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif./Gym-Max and MyKayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz./Desert Lights.
The gymnasts leaving on a bus on Sunday to Canada to represent the USA at the Pan American Games are Baumann, Desch, Hundley, Kocian, Locklear, Nichols and Skinner.
The results for the all-around top six and the even medalists are as follows.
All-Around
- Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 122.550
- Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 118.300
- Maggie Nichols, Little Canada, Minn., 117.900
- Alyssa Baumann, Plano, Texas, 116.100
- MyKayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz., 115.450
- Amelia Hundley, Hamilton, Ohio, 112.200
Vault
- Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 31.025
- MyKayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz., 30.225
Uneven Bars
- Ashton Locklear, Hamlet, N.C., 31.050
- Madison Kocian, Dallas, Texas, 30.750
- Maggie Nichols, Little Canada, Minn., 29.400
Balance Beam
- Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 30.550
- Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 30.300
- Alyssa Baumann, Plano, Texas, 30.300
Floor Exercise
- Simone Biles, Spring, Texas, 31.150
- MyKayla Skinner, Gilbert, Ariz., 30.000
- Maggie Nichols, Little Canada, Minn., 29.000
Beam Dreams 