Bailie Key at 2013 Secret US Classic podium training. Photo by Scott and Elmer Hults.

The 2013 Secret US Classic Junior competition wrapped up just moments ago in the Sears Centre Arena. Bailie Key of Texas Dreams takes home the all around prize with a 58.25. 

The first rotation kicked off with Polina Shchennikova on the bars. Clean lines and an impressive difficulty score (6.3), Shchennikova was rewarded with a 14.35 total score that would place her in third after the first rotation. Alexis Vasquez and Norah Flatley of Chow's Gymnastics followed performing solid bar routines both packed with difficulty and demonstrating the refinement of their skills. Flatley in particular rose to the occassion getting nice height on her jeager release and closing the routine with a stuck double layout dismount. Flatley received a 14.3 for her efforts. On the beam, the highly anticipated Nia Dennis encountered some difficulty. Despite a huge arabian front and impressive air time on a side somi, Dennis fell on her back handspring-back layout series. Dennis also finished her routine landing short on her double back forcing a large step forward to receive a 13.6. First rotation bobbles were not localized to Dennis, Bailie Key of Texas Dreams opened her floor routine with a beautiful double arabian, but landed her dismounting pass, a double pike, with her chest a bit low causing a large step. Key earned a 14.0 on the floor.

The first rotation rounded out with Emily Schild in first with a 15.0 on the vault, Amelia Hundley in second with a 14.7 on vault, and Polina Shchennikova in third for her 14.35 on the bars.

For the second rotation, Norah Flatley continued demonstrating her strong competitive potential with a fantastic beam routine. The routine included Flatley's signiture front aerial -front aerial - side aerial combination. Flatley, however, did not connect the series to the switch leap - back pike. Flatley closed the routine with a strong back handspring, back handspring, two and a half twist that had only the smallest of steps giving her a score of 15.2, the highest of the night to this point. On the vault, Key competed a strong yurchenko double that showed great body alignment in the air and control on the landing. Key earned a 15.0. Amelia Hundley took to the bars where she competed both a shiposh and a shiposh 1/2. Hundley ended the routine with a full-in double back in combination, and landed with a stick giving her a 14.4 Over on the floor, Nia Dennis again flaunted her impressive tumbling ability opening with a double layout. Dennis also performed a 1 1/2 twist through to double arabian which she landed easily. The judges awarded Dennis with a 14.6. The beam proved difficult for early favorites Hernandez, Shchennikova, and Vasquez all of whom experienced falls on the apparatus.

After the second rotation Norah Flatley led with a 29.5. Amelia Hundley and Bailie Key lended in the second and third positions with a 29.1 and a 29.0 respectively.

The third event started with Nia Dennis sticking a double twisting yurchenko to grab a 15.25, the highest score of the day thus far on the event. Bailie Key took to the bars competing a nice jeager release and ending the event with a stuck full-in double back for a solid 14.25. On floor, Laurie Hernandez sold her floor routine featuring a double arabian to stag leap, a stuck full-in, and a front layout to punch double twist. Hernandez filled in the routine with expressive dance landing her with a 14.65. Veronica Hults of Texas Dreams showed beautiful lines on the bars with her stalder shiposh and blind to jeager. Hults dismounted with a stuck full twisting double back to receive a 14.55.

Amelia Hundley led going into the third rotation with a 43.5. Nia Dennis sat in second with a 43.45, and Bailie Key in third with a 43.25.

Bailie Key capped off her competition with an nice set on the balance beam. Key showed off her wonderful flexibility with a switch-ring, but her front tuck to sissone jump and back hand spring- back handspring- triple full really separated the routine as one of the night. Key received a 15.0 on the event. Veronica Hults also finished on beam where she displayed her array of skills including a side somi, a handspring-handspring- layout two foot, and a switch leap half. A clean routine, Hults ended with a handspring-handspring 2 1/2 twist with a small step on the landing. Hults tallied a 14.9 on the apparatus. Hundley wrapped up on the floor where she competed a double layout, a 2 1/2 twist to punch layout, a 1/2 through to double pike, and a double pike. Few mistakes for Hundley on the floor. The judges awarded her a 14.45. Nia Dennis continued displaying high skills on the bars with two tkachev variations. Dennis clipped her toes on the low bar when winding up for the double layout dismount, but recovered taking only a minor step back on the landing. 

The final standings were Bailie Key in first with a 58.25, Amelia Hundley taking second wih a 57. 95, and Veronica Hults in third with a 56.8.

For the event titles, Nia Dennis on the vault with a 15.25, Veronica Hults on bars with a 14.55, Norah Flatley on beam with a 15.2, and Laurie Hernandez on floor with a 14.65.



For full results from the Junior sesssion click here. 

Continue getting all your Secret US Classic news from Gymnastike. The Senior session begins at 6PM CT.