After a phenominal start to the 2013 season, 16 year old Abigail Milliet is ready to make a splash at championships this year. Abby has been an elite gymnast for 5 years, and is best known for winning the WOGA Classic 2 times in a row (2012 & 2013), as well as placing 2nd all around at the 2011 and 2012 Nadia Comaneci Invitational! Abby trains at Denton Gymnastics in Denton Texas, and is looking forward to her college career at Auburn University! In this interview, Abby talked to us about her career high's and low's, goals for this season, and her reason for choosing Auburn.
Photo Credit: Scott and Emer Hults
You've been an elite gymnast since 2009, can you walk us through some of the high and low points of your career so far?
Some of my high points, were winning the WOGA Classic twice and the American Classic. A low point was only being able to compete two events at Visa's in 2009 because of my broken foot.
What are some new upgrades that we can expect to see from you this year?
Well, I have a completely new bar routine from last year including a ray, pak, inside stalder full, and a shaposh. On beam, I have back handspring layout, tour jete half, a double pike dismount, and just a bunch of connections with my older skills. On floor, I have a 1 1/2 through to double tuck and on vault I have a yurchenko double.
We saw a video of you training an amanar, when will we see that?
Well yeah, that too! Not this season, i'll have to keep working on that!
What are some of your goals for this season?
My goals are to make it on the national team and hopefully go to Worlds.
You are committed to Auburn for the 2014 school year. What about Auburn caught your eye?
Well, I love the coaches! They remind me of my own. The facility and school are just beautiful. I feel like I have something to contribute and I'm happy to do so.
Who is your role model in gymnastics?
Definitely Nastia Liukin!
What is your dream skill to compete?
A yurchenko double tuck on vault.
You've been to a few of the National Team Camps this year, what are they like?
It's very hard, but rewarding. It has helped me a lot with being prepared for this upcoming season and doing all my new skills.
Photo Credit: Ruth Judson
What do you like to do when your not in the gym?
I like to bake, hang out with friends, and I love going to Six Flags!
What was the hardest skill for you to learn?
Yurchenko double on vault. Not necessarily because it was hard..but just trying to make it better was a challenge.
What has gymnastics taught you that will help you in life?
It has taught me that if I focus and give it my all, I can do anything. Also, now that I've experienced so much in gymnastics, I feel like I won't be afraid of things in the real world!
Many people have been asking me for a list of gymnasts competing at Classics this year so I created this list based off of girls who have qualified elite. This list is not official. The official list will be released by USA Gymnastics a few weeks before the meet.
Seniors
Kennedy Baker- Texas Dreams
Peyton Ernst- Texas Dreams
Ariana Guerra- Texas Dreams
Elizabeth Price- Parkettes
Simone Biles- Bannon's
Lacy Dagen- San Mateo
Erin Macadaeg- San Mateo
Maddie Desch- GAGE
Brenna Dowell- GAGE
Madison Kocian- WOGA
Grace Mclaughlin- WOGA
Mckayla Maroney- All Olympia
Abigail Milliet- Denton
Maggie Nichols- Twin City Twisters
Lexie Priessman- CGA
Kyla Ross- Gym Max
Mykayla Skinner- Desert Lights
Rachel Gowey- Chows
The link above is a live stream from USA Gymnastics. They will be streaming both the junior and senior sessions. They are aiming to show at least 70% of the routines live and all routines will be on their YouTube channel after the meet.
I'm sure there will be plenty of quick hits happening on twitter as always. We will be at the meet, not doing quick hits, but what I like to call commentary! (Just commenting on things that are happening throughout the meet.)
Usually the year after an Olympic Games is the least exciting time of the entire quad with a lot of gymnasts retiring or unsure of their future. But with so much depth in the USA right now, 2013 looks like it will be a very interesting year with a competitive field even stronger then it was in 2012.
In the senior division we have a lot of girls who were stars in their junior years, ready to step onto the senior stage. We also have 2 returning Olympians, as well as an Olympic alternate. In the junior division we have some fresh faces ready to make an impact, along with those who have been juniors for several years and are eagerly waiting their time to prove themselves. With only 4 girls making the Worlds Team this year and such a big group of talented gymnasts, the 2013 elite season is going to be an interesting one! Below are some of the names that we think you should watch out for this season.
Seniors
Katelyn Ohashi
Photo Credit: Scott and Emer Hults
A standout in the junior ranks for quite some time, 16 year old Katelyn Ohashi has finally made the leap to senior competition. Katelyn started her senior career out with a bang, taking the American Cup title earlier this year. Shortly after, she had surgery on her shoulder and was sidelined from attending two international assignments. (City of Jesolo and a tri-meet between USA, Romanian, and Germany) Katelyn has since returned to training and is expected to have a great showing at Nationals and possibly World's later this year. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that she hasn't made any major upgrades to her routines (considering she hasn't attended any camps recently and we really haven't heard much about her progress since surgery) but if she preforms like how she did at American Cup, I would certainly consider her a contender for the All Around national title, and maybe even a lock on the 4 member USA World team. Katelyn is most valuable to team USA on bars and beam, although I think she has what it takes to challenge some of the world's best all arounders too!
Where She's Valuable: Bars, Beam, & AA
Possible Obstacles: Coming back strong after surgery
Upgrades For 2013: Not aware of any at this time.
Simone Biles
Photo Credit: Gymnastike
Simone made a splash on the senior stage earlier this year at the
American Cup (which was also her first international meet) where she
placed 2nd all around. She then went on to win 5 gold medals at the Jesolo
Trophy meet...the team, all around, vault, beam, and floor gold! Talk about a picture perfect start to your senior career! Simone first caught my attention last summer when she exploded (literally!) onto the radar with her HUGE amanar vault and sky high tumbling on floor. She also showed phenomenal all around potential for someone who's only been an elite gymnast for 2 years! Luckily, she hasn't had to deal with any major injuries thus far, and *fingers crossed* it will stay that way because this kid truly is a force to be reckoned with. I'm super excited to see what she can do. In Antwerp, her best bet for gold will clearly be on vault and floor, but Simone has made it evident that the all around is her main goal. I would certainty say she is in the mix of US gymnasts fighting for that AA spot. Simone has all the difficulty needed to succeed, and if she hits...she's
going to be tough to beat!
Where She's Valuable: Vault, Floor, & AA
Possible Obstacles: Sometimes Simone has too much power, which can sometimes hurt her on events like floor and bars.
Upgrades For 2013:
Beam: Standing arabian
Floor: Piked double arabian, laid out full in
Although we haven't seen Ebee since December when she won 2 World Cup titles, Price has been back in the gym and will definitely be one to watch in the next few years. Ebee is great on vault and floor, but has vastly improved in the all around. She had a stellar 2012 season, placing 5th all around at Classics and Nationals and placing 4th at the Olympic trials where she was named an alternate to the 2012 Olympic team. She ended the year on a high note, winning the World Cup meets in Stuttgart and Glasgow. What stands out the most about Ebee is not only her power on events like vault and floor, but also how well she is able to control herself. Have you seen this girls double double on floor? I don't think I've ever seen her do it anything less than perfect. Every. Single. Time. Now THAT is something Marta should definitely take note of if she hasn't already! I'm really looking forward to seeing what Ebee has up her sleeve for this summer, considering she is in the mix of girls vying for one of the 4 spots on the US World Team!
Where She's Valuable: Vault, Floor, & AA
Possible Obstacle: Proving that she deserves a spot over someone with more experience.
Upgrades For 2013:
Vault: 2nd vault- Mustafina
Floor: Replacing double layout with full twisting-double layout, new choreography
Mckayla Maroney
Photo Credit: Unknown
One of the most anticipated comebacks of this season is the return of Fierce 5 member and the 2011 World Champion on vault- Mckayla Maroney. Mckayla has been training at full strength since January and I feel like she can really make a statement in the all around this quad if that's what her goal is. Because she is training all events right now, I think it's likely that she will be competing all around at Nationals... Antwerp however, is a different story. I don't think it's fair for me to count Mckayla out of the all around just yet considering she hasn't even competed. But being realistic, I think she has a LOT to prove at Classics and Nationals if she wants to be one of the two all arounders selected for World's. With the depth of team US at this moment, Mckayla's best bet at making the team will be for vault and possibly floor. But based off the training videos released by USA Gymnastics, I don't doubt Maroney's ability to preform well at Nationals and World's this year. I'm extremely impressed with what she's been able to do in such a short amount of time.
Where She's Valuable: Vault & Floor Possible Obstacle: If she doesn't hit at Classics and Nationals, she won't be needed considering there are other top vault and floor workers in the US currently. Upgrades For 2013: All upgrades in (this video), possibly a triple twisting yurchenko
Kyla Ross
Photo Credit: The Couch Gymnast
Yes, another member of the Fierce 5 is making an attempt for Worlds this year! Kyla Ross never slowed down after London and has already competed in a few international meets this year. Kyla placed 2nd all around at Jesolo and won the all around title at a tri meet against Germany and Romania shortly after. I think 2013 is Kyla's year. She's FINALLY starting to put in the upgrades necessary for her to be a real threat in the all around and I'm thrilled about that because she's always had what it takes to be the best. Kyla has always been overshadowed and I see great things coming her way now that she's taking on the role of a veteran. I feel like her confidence has sky rocketed and it's showing in her gymnastics!
Where She's Valuable: Bars, Beam, & AA Possible Obstacle: Not being strong enough on vault and floor to qualify as an all arounder to Worlds. Upgrades For 2013: All upgrades in (this video)
Lexie Priessman
Photo Credit: USA Gymnastics
As the reigning junior national champion, Lexie Priessman has a lot to live up to this year. Lexie was one of those kids that really had a standout junior career and then sort of crumbled a little bit as a first year senior (at least thus far). Obviously the all around potential for Priessman is there. She has what it takes and that's why I never want to count her out. Based off everything she was able to accomplish last year as a junior, the girl has mad talent. I think she just has to find a way to deal with the pressure and expectations that naturally come with the kind of success she experienced as a junior and put it all together. I hoping we will see a more polished, confident, and healthy Priessman at Classics and Nationals this summer. I personally, don't feel like top 3 at Nationals is a reasonable goal for Priessman this year. I am aware that this is her goal but I just feel like with all the incredible all around gymnasts the US currently has, top 3 is a pretty lofty goal. I hope she can prove me wrong though!
Where She's Valuable: Vault, Floor, & AA
Possible Obstacle: Showing consistency, placing among the top all arounders.
Upgrades For 2013:
Bars: Shaposh half, piked tkachev, and a stalder piked hecht.
Beam: Front pike, bhs-bhs-laid out full-back handspring.
Floor: Laid out full in, 1 1/2 to full in.
Mykayla Skinner
Photo Credit: USA Gymnastics
Known for throwing all the big tricks, Skinner could easily factor into the medal stand this season if she hits her routines. Although she lacks international experience, Skinner has an impressive repertoire of skills that are much upgraded from last year. Mykayla has gained a lot of popularity over the internet when she debuted her laid out double double on floor earlier this season. However, if Skinner wants to get the laid out double double named after her, she has to do well at Classics and Nationals this summer so she has a shot of making the World team. That will be a tall order for Skinner to fill considering she has close to no international experience, and the USA has a boat load of excellent vault and floor workers (with more experience) fighting for one of four spots on the US World team. Only time will tell if Skinner really has what it takes.
Where She's Valuable: Vault & Floor Possible Obstacle: Showing consistency, making the team over girls with more experience. Upgrades For 2013:
Vault: 2nd vault- Cheng, has done a half on double full into a pit
Bars: Ray-bail, shaposh half
Beam: Back handspring layout full, full in dismount
Floor: Laidout double double, 1 1/2 through to 2 1/2
Abigail Milliet
Photo Credit: Unknown
A name that's a little less common amongst the gymnastics world...Abigail Milliet could possibly be flying under the radar! Milliet has won a few of the smaller elite meets including the 2013 WOGA Classic and the 2011 American Classic. Milliet also placed 2nd all around at the Nadia Invite in 2011 and 2012. Abigail has done the amanar vault in training and has a pretty impressive beam set. With such a strong field of competitors, Milliet may be a long shot for Worlds this year, but she is definitely worth mentioning as one to watch for at Classics, Nationals, and many years to come!
Other Notable Seniors: Brenna Dowell Madison Desch Sabrina Vega Peyton Ernst
Juniors
Although one might think the junior session wouldn't be as intense as the senior competition, I can guarantee you that the field of juniors making a run at the US National title is stronger than ever! Even though a world team spot is not a stake, what happens this year can play a huge role in the future of some of these kids!
Laurie Hernandez
Photo Credit: Unknown
Always a fan favorite in the junior division, Laurie is much improved from last year. Impressively, Laurie has upgraded on all 4 events for this year. Some of her upgrades are as followed:
Vault: Double twisting yurchenko
Bars: Shaposh, stalder hect, geinger
Floor: Triple Twist, 2 1/2 front full, punch front-double front
Laurie placed 1st all around at the national team camp in April and 2nd all around at the WOGA Classic earlier this year. I think Laurie has a great shot of getting on the podium at Classics and Nationals this year and hopefully she can make National Team, if all goes as planned!
Where To Watch: Floor
Reason To Watch: Laurie is beautiful to watch on floor because she's so expressive. She is a natural born dancer who has incredible stage presence for someone so young! We can't wait to see her new floor routine for this season!
The latest protege of Kim Zmeskal, 14 year old Bailie Key is poised to dominate the scene at this years junior National championships. After claiming the all around title at both the Jesolo and Tri meet earlier this year, Bailie has been on a roll with no intentions of stopping soon! I fell in love with Bailie last year at championships, because I feel like she has the total package. She's clean, precise, consistent, and not to mention adorable! I think at this point, the all around title is her's to lose. She just has to do what she always does and she should be fine. Bailie has mentioned a few upgrades that we could possibly see this season. They are as followed:
Vault: Amanar
Bars: Church, Downie,
Where To Watch: Beam, Floor, & AA
What To Watch: Bailie is fabulous on every event. Her precision and mental toughness is what sets her apart from the rest of the field. She makes everything look easy!
Amelia Hundley
Photo Credit: USA Gymnastics
One of my all time favorite juniors, Amelia Hundley is ready to end her junior career on a high note. After a rough start to her season at the Jesolo meet, I'm expecting Amelia to bounce back pretty well. She's always been a pretty sturdy gymnast and she's certainty more experienced than any other junior out on the floor (elite since 2010) . I think she can use that to her advantage this year! Amelia doesn't really have a standout event, although I would say bars and floor are were she brings in the highest scores. If Amelia can avoid injury, I think she's capable of placing top 3 at Classics and Nationals!
Where To Watch: Bars, Floor, & AA
What To Watch: On floor, Amelia has incredible presentation and she always puts on a show for the audience! On bars, she's much improved and does a fantastic job of hitting her handstands!
Nica Hults
Photo Credit: Unknown
Another star gymnast from Texas Dreams, Nica Hults is a force to be reckoned with this season! Even though she has no international experience, she shows tremendous all around potential, along with clean and precise movements that captivate the audience! Nica's best event is beam, however I think she's really stepped it up in the all around! With a good performance at Classics or Nationals, top 3 is doable for this little one!
Where To Watch: Beam
What To Watch: Like her teammate, Nica has the polish of a senior competitor! Her elegance on every event is something to watch for!
Nia Dennis
Photo Credit: Unknown
Nia is the newest member of the junior national team, being added after a spectacular camp where she placed 1st All Around! It's safe to say that Nia has come a long way since last year. She is a fantastic bar worker and resembles Oympic champ Gabby Douglas on that event. Below are some of the upgrades she's made since last year.
Vault: Amanar
Bars: Shaposh, piked tkachev, full in dismount
Floor: Double layout
I think Nia is going to impress a lot of people this year and I'm definitely adding her to my list as one to watch. Nia has all the goods to be a STAR in this sport and I am so excited to see what she will do. As of right now, I think she has a great shot of placing top 3 this year at Nationals!
Where To Watch: Bars & AA What To Watch: Nia is absolutely gorgeous on every event. However, bars sticks out to me because of her sky high release moves!
Vanasia Bradley
Photo Credit: Brittany Smith
A new face on the elite scene, Vanasia comes from Splitz Gymnastics in Canton, Michigan. Vanasia first caught my eye after I watched some training videos of her doing some pretty crazy skills! (A triple twisting double!) Although she will probably play it safe at Classics this year, Vanasia is capable of throwing all the big skills! It's incredible for someone who's a first year elite! In training, Vanasia has done the following:
Vault: Double twisting yurchenko
Bars: Stalder half-jaeger, stalder full-tkatchev, pac salto, shaposh half, full in dismount
Beam: Back handspring layout step out-layout step out, front aerial-sheep jump, 2 1/2 twist dismount
Floor: Double double, 2 1/2 front full, triple twist, triple twisting doubles in the pit
Where To Watch: Vault& Floor What To Watch: Vanasia has the rare combination of grace and power! Look for her beautiful toe point on bars, and powerful tumbling on floor.
Norah Flatley
Photo Credit: Gymnastike ?
Perhaps the next big thing from Chows gym, Norah Flatley is technically not even an elite yet but has been a favorite among the gymternet for quite some time. Norah, like most of the Chow's gymnasts is known for her exquisite beam work. Norah is trying to qualify elite this weekend at the Parkette's Elite Qualifier and will certainly be a force for USA Gymnastics in years to come!
Where To Watch: Beam
What To Watch: Norah has a jam packed beam set, with the precision and consistency to back it up! A great combination!
Sydney Johnson Sharpf
Photo Credit: John Cheng
The daughter of Olympian Brandy Johnson, Sydney caught the eye of many people when she emerged onto the elite stage at the 2013 Nastia Cup, displaying great skills and a fun floor routine. Sydney is one of my favorite up and coming juniors because she has a phenomenal personality that she really shows in her floor performances! Sydney recently qualified to Classics at the June developmental camp and shows huge potential for the future.
Where To Watch: Floor
What To Watch: Sydney is super fierce and knows how to put on a show! Her best event is floor where she can perform like no other. The way she presents herself at the age of 12 is unreal.
Although she is not eligible for the 2016 Olympics, Jordan already has the gymterent buzzing with some of her crazy skills and unique combinations at the age of 12. In training, she has done the following:
Vault: Yurchenko double
Bars: Geinger, tkatchev
Beam: Watch video below, triple twist dismount
Floor: Double layout, arabian double front, 1 1/2 through to triple, front triple-punch front, (on tramp) 3 1/2 twist (on tramp)
Even though she won't turn senior until 2017, miss Chiles will be a force among the junior ranks for many years to come!
A star in USA Gymnastics history, Brandy Johnson was a force to be reckoned with in the late 80's. As a junior, Brandy proved to be one to watch when she won the National Championships and received her first international assignment. (She ended up placing 12th.) Brandy went on to compete in the Olympic Trials where she placed 4th and made the 1988 Olympic team. At the Olympics, Brandy placed 10th in the all around which was the highest all around placement of any other American. She also qualified to the vault event finals where she placed 5th. After the games, Brandy decided to continue with gymnastics and had a stand out year. She swept the 1989 National Championships, winning the all around title and 3 of the 4 events. At the World Championships, she helped team USA place 4th, along with placing 7th in the all around and second on vault. Brandy was the only American to win a medal at these world championships and her all around placement was at the time, the highest an American gymnast had ever placed at Worlds. At the Cottbus Cup that year, Brandy won an outstanding 5 gold medals! In 1990, Brandy placed 3rd all around at the National Championships while taking home 2 event golds. Brandy also won the Olympic Festival meet and ended her career at 1990 World Cup where she placed 5th all around. Today Brandy resides in Florida where she owns her own gym called 'Brandy Johnsons Global' which is home to former national team member Morgan Smith and currently home to several elite level gymnasts including Alexis Beucler, Aja Monet Sims, and Brandy's own daughter Sydney, who is an up coming elite gymnast hoping to follow her her mother's footsteps. We talked to Brandy and Sydney about their future plans.
Brandy Johnson
You had quite the career as a gymnast, what would you say was your most memorable moment?
Making the Olympic team of course! Standing on the podium getting ready to start and seeing all the American flags waving. That is when it hit me that I had reached my goal! Also, competing at the Cottbus Cup in 1989. I won 5 gold medals!
You trained under Bela Karolyi, what was he like as a coach?
Bela was a great coach! He taught me that I could work harder then I thought I could.
Being a former gymnast yourself, do you think your experiences as a gymnast make it easier for you to coach?
Yes, I think being a former gymnast does give you an advantage in coaching. Going through the challenges of learning a new skill or fear of something, your own experiences can really help an athlete that is struggling. What is it like coaching your own daughter?
Coaching my child is wonderful and difficult at the same time. Balance is the key and it is very hard to keep. We are very close and she reacts when I do, so I always have to remember that. I love coaching her and watching her grow in the best sport ever! Whatever the outcome of her gymnastics career, I know she will become a strong, disciplined, person who knows how to work through fears, overcome challenges, and set goals.
What are Sydney's plans as far as elite?
Sydney is on the elite track, she is trying for junior elite this year. The Nastia Cup was the turning point for her decision to stop the JO program and focus on elite. She really enjoyed performing on a podium and loves the developmental camps at the ranch!
What is Sydney's ultimate goal for this season?
For this year, our goal is to get her to Championships, compete, and be clean. Sydney also has to upgrade her vault and bars.
Aside from Sydney, do you have any other promising gymnasts we should look out for?
We have many strong athletes coming up. Some of them are on the elite track, some not. All of their goals are different, our goal is to help them reach it.
Did you ever imagine that one day you would own a gym that has some of the top level 10 and elite athletes coming out of it?
It's a dream come true to have top level 10's and elites coming out of our gym. It has always been a goal to be one of the top gyms in the country. It was easier when I was a gymnast, rather then being a gym owner, but all the challenges you have as an athlete build your character and help you later in life. My gyms success comes from a team of great people, mostly my mom and former teammate Kelly Pitzen. They have been with me from the beginning, working hard and helping every step of the way!
Sydney Johnson Scharpf
Photo Credit: John Cheng
You are starting to become known for your style and presentation on the floor, have you had any formal dance lessons?
I have always loved to dance, even as a baby! My mom would put on music of all kinds and I'd dance around the house for hours. I took a few dance classes as a little girl, but no real formal classes. I have always wanted to try ballroom dancing! We have some dance training at the gym, working mostly on expression and ballet.
This was your first year as a level 10, can you walk us through your season? What were some of the high and low points?
I was excited starting out the year as a first year level 10. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was ready for it. My high points this season were winning all the invitationals and qualifying to the Nastia Cup. I was also invited to some developmental camps and started my journey to becoming an elite. My low points were dealing with a stomach issue early in the season and trying to figure out if I had a gluten allergy. Eliminating certain foods made my energy level low. I also lost my great granny this past April and it was very hard on my whole family.
What's it like having your mom, who is an Olympian, as you coach? Does that motivate you at all?
I love having my mom as a coach. She gives me great advice in everything that I do! She motivates me to be just like her!
If you could have the career of any gymnast who would you choose?
That's a tough one! There are so many great gymnasts with great careers. I haven't researched them so I'm not quite sure. Nastia is definitely one of my favorites! I got to know her a little better at the Nastia Cup and it was really cool.
What do you like to do when you are not in the gym?
When I'm not in the gym, I like to drive my yellow golf chart that I call duckie. I like to make things out of duct tape and other crafts! I like to draw, paint, design clothes, and listen to music and dance! I also love doing science experiments with my chemistry set. And when there is a little bit of time on the weekends, I like to go shopping with my mimi. (Grandma)
What are some of your future goals?
I want to qualify elite and make it to Championships this year! I would like to be on the national team and maybe get an international assignment. I would also like to make it to the Olympics one day. Hopefully Rio!
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