MCSMaria's Artistic Gymnastics Blog

Fellow Colorado and Mile High City girl, Polina Shchennikova has decided to forgo the beautiful Rocky Mountains and has chosen to attend the University of Michigan for her college gymnastics career.

First year senior, Polina Shchennikova is showing off some beautiful upgrades on the beam.

First year senior and Mile High City girl, Polina Shchennikova is showing off a beautiful new floor routine.

The World Championships are over (I'm sad). But, with that, it brings us one year closer to the 2016 Rio Games. The USA already has a pool of outstanding juniors who will be turning age eligible over the next couple of years. Bailie Key, my favorite USA junior will not turn senior till 2015 (sigh). Anyways, here are the athletes turning senior in the coming year.

 The juniors are taking over the world one back-handspring layout step out at a time and Bailie Key is their leader. Bailie won the all-around title with a total of 118.55 after a stellar performance on the balance beam. Bailie, who trains at Texas Dreams under 1991 World Champion, Kim Zmeskal, also won the junior division of the Secret Classic a couple weeks earlier.

USA Junior Polina Shchennikova of Arvada trains on the uneven bars during podium training. Polina's lines are so beautiful and I am totally wanting more of her in this quad.

Kyla Ross, the baby of the Fierce Five showed everyone that she's not going anywhere with her win yesterday at the Secret Classic, the qualifier for the P&G Championships next month. Kyla took home the gold with a total of 58.650, just .4 ahead of Texas Dreams' Peyton Ernst, a first year senior. Kyla also had the highest score on the uneven bars with a 15.400, well deserved, it was a gorgeous routine and spectacular execution. 

This Saturday is the long anticipated Secret Classic, the qualifier for the national championships! It's all very exciting. It's the start of a new competitive season and a new quadrennium leading up to the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. It's full of possibilities and new beginnings. Here is a few things too look forward to for the competition on Saturday.

This edition of Juniors to watch is featuring latest junior national team member, Laurie Hernandez. Laurie Hernandez Date of Birth: June 9, 2000 Age: 13 Residence: Old Bridge, New Jersey Club: Monmouth Gymnastics Academy Coach: Maggie Haynes Thirteen-year-old Laurie is a kid of the new millennium. Born in the year 2000, she'll turn 16 in just enough time to qualify for the Rio De Janeiro Olympic team in 2016. Laurie recently qualified for the first time to the national team as a junior. She competed elite last year and qualified to compete at the National Championships but did not make it to the national team. This year after an excellent showing at the American Classic, Women's Team Coordinator, Marta Karolyi named Laurie to the team.

USA Gymnastics has released the official list for the competitor field for the Secret Classic on July 27. McKayla and Kyla are just as excited as we are for Classics! Source: Teen.com Returning Fierce Five members, McKayla Maroney and Kyla Ross have been officially confirmed to the field. No surprise, McKayla and Kyla were spotted at National team training camp in early June working on new floor routines. Kyla was seen doing some gorgeous beam connections which we hope to see at the Classics in a full routine.

Age: 15 Residence: Arvada, Colorado Club: Tigars Gymnastics and Cheer Coaches: Mom Katia and father Alex Born in Moscow, Russia The inaugural junior to watch is Mile-High city gymnast, Polina Shchennikova. Polina's backgroud is much like that of 2008 Olympic All-Around Champion, Nastia Liukin. So much so, that Polina is referred to as "Baby Nastia" around the Gymternet.  Like Nastia, she is the daughter of two former junior soviet gymnasts and it shows in her gymnastics. She exhibits beautiful long lines and flexibly and elegance that is reminiscent of the artistry of the Soviet Union gymnastics machine.

This week, USA Gymnastics posted videos from the Women's National Training camp a couple of weeks ago. Per USAGym.com, new videos will be posted on their YouTube Channel over the next three weeks. The ladies are working on the next goal, making the worlds team.