On the watch: New faces on the elite scene for 2014.

Delanie Harkness

If you are a long time reader of my blog, you should already know Delanie Harkness because I've been talking about her for quite some time. Delanie is twelve years old and trains at Gedderts Twistars in Michigan. She's fresh off winning the Junior A division of the JO National Championships and qualified to junior elite at the May developmental camp. For her first year as an elite, I expect Delanie to hang somewhere in the middle of the pack. She has the full package of qualities that it takes to be successful at the elite level, so I can't wait to see what she's going to do. Although she doesn't have as much difficulty as some of the top juniors right now, I think she has a lot of potential and promise for the future. Within the next few years, Delanie could be the next big thing!

Be sure to watch for Delanie's beautiful geinger release on bars. She gets great height and her form is impeccable!

 

Victoria Nguyen

Victoria is another one of coach Chow's prodigies who is flying under the radar. (Literally!) Many of us first met Victoria through gymnastike's BTR series at Chows gym. Victoria, who is 13 years old, has been attending the national team camps all year long and supposedly qualified to elite and straight through to Nationals at one of those camps. Victoria has been on the down low, but she's bound to break out strong in her first year as an elite. Just last year she competed as a level 9 and won the state title on vault, bars, and floor. Nguyen has similar qualities to her teammate Norah Flatley and is strong on beam in particular.

Be sure to watch for Victoria on beam! Like most gymnasts from Chow's, she's a fantastic beam worker with beautiful lines.

Elena Arenas

A lot like the other girls on this list, Elena is just 12 years old and is going to be one to keep your eye on. Elena has been attending the developmental camps for almost two years now and recently qualified to junior elite after tying with Alyonna Shchennikova to win the qualifier at the May developmental camp. (Making her the first elite gymnast from her gym.) Last year Elena won the HOPES qualifier at the ranch and competed in the US Challenge where she finished 7th all around. A year later, she is now well prepared to move into the coveted elite ranks where she will hopefully shine among the best gymnasts in the country. On her quest to qualify to junior elite, Elena also competed level 10 this year- winning the all around state title, placing 2nd all around and 1st on bars at regionals, and finishing 10th all around at the JO National Championships. Elena has a really pretty style and lots of potential! We can't wait to see what she will do in her elite career!

Be sure to watch Elena on bars! She has a nice tkatchev and a beautiful pac salto. Elena has also been seen training a new dismount- a double layout with a full twist, that will be awesome if she competes it. (Video on her Instagram- it's gorgeous.) 

Adeline Kenlin

Adeline Kenlin is currently the youngest elite competitor out there at just 11 years old, however she will turn 12 the day after the US Classic. What a great birthday present it would be for Adeline to nail her first meet as an elite gymnast! Last year she won the HOPES (age 10-11) division of the US Challenge and also took home gold on bars, beam, and floor. At the Buckeye elite qualifier earlier this year, Adeline passed her elite compulsories and won the competition. At the May developmental camp she qualified to junior elite. Adeline may be small in size, but she's certainly got all the qualities to go far in the elite world.

Be sure to watch for Adeline on beam. She's got some impressive connections such as a bhs-bhs-layout and aerial-back tuck. 

Alyona Schennikova

As the younger sister of senior national team member Polina, Alyona is ready to follow in her big sisters footsteps. Alyona qualified to junior elite at the May developmental camp after scoring 1st in the physical abilities testing and tying for first all around in the qualifier with Elena Arenas. At the US Challenge last year, Alyona took the all around title as well as placing 3rd on vault and 1st on bars and floor. Although Alyona doesn't have a whole lot of difficulty, she's a beautiful gymnast and will be one to keep our eyes on as she ventures through the elite ranks. 

Be sure to watch Alyona on bars and beam, where her naturally long and beautiful lines are evident. 

Shilese Jones

Shilese Jones is also only 11 years old and will turn 12 just a few days before the US Classic! Last year she competed in the HOPES division (age 10-11) of the US Challenge and placed 3rd all around and 1st on vault. Shilese may be one of the younger competitors in the elite division but she's got a lot of big tricks. Shilese has been training a crazy new skill on floor- a full in half out, which has been competed twice before but never at the world level. (It is not in the code of points.) Shilese is a powerful gymnast, so we can expect to see big things from her on vault and floor in the future.

Be sure to watch Shilese on floor. She has lots of power and tumbles well for her age.

McKenna Kelly 

Following in the footsteps of her very famous mother- Mary Lou Retton, it will be interesting to see how McKenna will fair in the senior elite ranks. Earlier this year McKenna tied with Mckenzie Brannan for a share of the Nastia Liukin Cup. (There was no tie breaker.) She also won the National floor title at JO Nationals last month. McKenna's best events are easily vault and floor thanks to her raw power, however she still considered a strong all around gymnast. McKenna has yet to qualify to the elite level, however she has stated that elite is her goal and she attended her first national team training camp earlier this month.  If all goes as planned, we can expect to see McKenna aiming for a spot on the senior national team later this summer.

Be sure to watch for McKenna on floor. She's got some explosive tumbling passes such as the double layout she opens with. McKenna has also been training a double double and an Arabian double front piked, so it's possible we could see those skills in her routine.