2021 US Championships

Richard, Petrosyan Take 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships Junior AA Titles

Richard, Petrosyan Take 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships Junior AA Titles

Fred Richard topped the all-around field in the junior 17-19-year-old division at the U.S. Championships.

Jun 6, 2021 by FloGymnastics Staff
Richard, Petrosyan Take 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships Junior AA Titles

FORT WORTH, Texas, June 6, 2021 – Fred Richard of Stoughton, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy topped the all-around field in the junior 17-19-year-old division at the U.S. Championships Saturday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Vahe Petrosyan of Van Nuys, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA claimed the top spot in the 15-16-year-old division.

Replays | Results

Richard (155.800) stretched a narrow lead going into Day 2 of the competition to a nearly three-point margin, outscoring Toby Liang of Roswell, Ga./Roswell Gymnastics (153.050) who finished in second and Joseph Pepe (151.450) who was third. Meanwhile, a surging Kai Uemura of Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics pulled even with Petrosyan at 155.600 to close out the competition but received the silver medal after the tie break. Alexandru Nitache of Knoxville, Tenn./GymTek Academy finished third with a 152.100.

A mistake in applying the tie break criteria immediately following the event’s conclusion contributed to an inaccurate awards ceremony that was later resolved. The glitch impacted all-around and floor exercise results in the 15-16-year-old division. The results listed below have been corrected.

The top-three 15, 16, and 17-year-old athletes automatically qualified to the Junior Men’s National Team based on their all-around performances over the course of the two-day competition. Five additional athletes will be named to the team by the Men’s Selection Committee later in the week. The nine gymnasts who earned automatic spots on the Junior National Team Saturday are:

  • Xander Hong, Tomball, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics
  • Toby Liang, Roswell, Ga./Roswell Gymnastics
  • Caleb Melton, Woodbridge, Va./Apollo Gymnastics
  • Alexandru Nitache, Knoxville, Tenn./GymTek Academy
  • Cole Partridge, Bountiful, Utah/USA Gymnastics World
  • Vahe Petrosyan, Van Nuys, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA
  • Fred Richard, Stoughton, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy
  • Kai Uemura, Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics
  • Ignacio Yockers, Tulsa, Okla./Pride Gymnastics Academy 

The top-three finishers in each division on each apparatus are listed below. Select ties could not be broken based on the International Gymnastics Federation’s rules and procedures.

15-16-year-old division

  • Floor exercise: 1. Cole Partridge of Bountiful, Utah/USA Gymnastics World, 26.450; 2. Danilo Viciana of Marietta, Ga./Cartersville Twisters, 26.400; 3. Vahe Petrosyan of Van Nuys, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA, 26.400
  • Pommel horse: 1. David Shamah of Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, 25.750; 2. Vahe Petrosyan of Van Nuys, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA, 25.600; 3. Arun Chhetri of Culver City, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA and Kai Uemura of Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics, 25.550
  • Still rings: 1. Vahe Petrosyan of Van Nuys, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA, 26.650; 2. David Shamah of Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, 26.200; 3. Troy Nuesca, Thousand Oaks, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA, 26.000
  • Vault: 1. Caleb Melton, of Woodbridge, Va./Apollo Gymnastics, 28.500; 2. Kai Uemura of Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics, 27.500; 3. Toma Murakawa of Van Nuys, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA and Landon Simpson of Bellefonte, Pa./Centre Elite Gymnastics, 27.300
  • Parallel bars: 1. Caden Clinton of Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, 26.300; 2. Xander Hong of Tomball, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, 25.850; 3. Cole Partridge of Bountiful, Utah/USA Gymnastics World, 25.550
  • Horizontal bar: 1. Kai Uemura of Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics, 26.050; 2. Vahe Petrosyan of Van Nuys, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA, 25.700; 3. Arun Chhetri of Culver City, Calif./Gymnastics Olympica USA, 25.350

17-19-year-old division

  • Floor exercise: 1. Fred Richard of Stoughton, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy, 26.400; 2. Vishal Mandava of Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, 26.200; 3. Toby Liang of Roswell, Ga./Roswell Gymnastics, 25.950
  • Pommel horse: 1. Rithik Puri of Chicago, Ill./Lakeshore Academy of Art Gymnastics, 25.350; 2. Ignacio Yockers of Tulsa, Okla./Pride Gymnastics Academy, 25.250; 3. Nathan York of Plainfield, Ill./Premier Gymnastics Academy West, 25.100
  • Still rings: 1. Dallas Hale of Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, 26.450; 2. Fred Richard of Stoughton, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy, 26.250; 3. Vishal Mandava of Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics and Joseph Pepe of Peoria, Ariz./North Valley Gymnastics, 25.650
  • Vault: 1. Fred Richard of Stoughton, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy, 28.350; 2. Dave Wolma of Cypress, Texas/Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, 28.200; 3. Joseph Pepe of Peoria, Ariz./North Valley Gymnastics, 27.800
  • Parallel bars: 1. Dallas Hale of Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, 26.250; 2. Ryan Vanichtheeranont of Plainfield, Ill./Premier Gymnastics Academy West, 25.950; 3. Cameron Lee of Frisco, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics, 25.850
  • Horizontal bar: 1. Fred Richard of Stoughton, Mass./Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy, 25.950; 2. Joseph Pepe of Peoria, Ariz./North Valley Gymnastics, 25.550; 3. Toby Liang of Roswell, Ga./Roswell Gymnastics, 25.500

USA GymnasticsBased in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States, encompassing seven disciplines: women’s gymnastics, men’s gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, rhythmic gymnastics, acrobatic gymnastics, gymnastics for all (a.k.a. group gymnastics) and, most recently, parkour. USA Gymnastics sets the rules and policies that govern the sport of gymnastics, including selecting and training the U.S. Gymnastics Teams for the Olympics and World Championships; promoting and developing gymnastics on the grassroots and national levels, as well as a safe, empowered and positive training environment; and serving as a resource and educational center for the more than 200,000 members, clubs, fans and gymnasts throughout the United States. The organization is deeply committed to creating a culture that encourages and supports its athletes and focuses on its highest priority: the safety and well-being of athletes and our community.