MaylJune 1986
Elite Newcomer Eyes Jr. Top Spot By Kathleen M. Delano eating 1986 American Cup winner and junior national champion Kristie Phillips in the 1986 American Classic is no easy feat. But Phillips received her toughest competition from 14-yearold Julissa (ju-LEE-sa) 0' Anne Gomez. A teammate of Phillips', Gomez almost pulled it off by taking first place in vaulting and uneven bars and second all-around - finishing just .85 behind Phillips. And this in her first year competing elite. Gomez, in one year, has jumped from seventh all-around (71 .10) in the 1985 Junior Olympic Nationals (Class I) to second all-around junior elite (74.00) at this year's American Classic. That kind of growth in one year is similar to Olympians Mary Lou Retton, Kathy Johnson and Julianne McNamara beginning speculation that Gomez might make some waves at the Cham pionshi ps of the USA and beyond. Gomez, like thousands of American girls, began gymnastics after watching Nadia Comanneci sweep the gold in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. But it took her three years to convince her mother to enroll her in gymnastics classes. "I started gymnastics at a little dance school in San Antonio because I wasn't old enough to take a regular gymnastics class/' Gomez explained. That was 1979. Now she has traded the dance school classes for training with Nadia's coach, Bela Karolyi, at his club in Houston. "I had to tryout to train at Karolyi's (in 1983). It wasn't really as hard as I thought it would be. I was just starting Class I. He made me do a couple of giants on the bar and a couple of vaults and he made me tumble . Then he said he would take me/' said the 4'5", 68pound Gomez. Gomez trained with coach Rick Newman at Karolyi's Gymnastics for two years before beginning training with Bela himself. Now she's in the gym twice a day totalling five to six hours doing "mostly routines."
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"I get up at about 6 a .m. I go to gym from 7 to 9 a.m. I then come home, get dressed and go to schooV' Gomez says. "I come home after school to rest and do homework. Then I go back to the gym from 5 to 9 p .m." Even with the demands of training, Gomez excells as a student. "I make staightA's. I guess I was just born that way/' Gomez says. "It' s not that much of a hassle. The teachers in the school are very understanding." This year, Gomez's goal is to make the junior national team and compete internationally ("Somewhere in Europe/' says Gomez) like her current idot Irina Baraksanova. "I like Baraksanova. I like the way she dances/' says Gomez. "If I work really hard, I can probably be just as good ./I A good goal for someone whose eye is on the 1988 Olympics. , "First of alt my goal is to keep improving every day/' says Gomez, a San Antonio, Texas native. "But my biggest goal would be the 1988 Olympics, and I'd like to win five gold medals . .. or even one gold medal." The first step toward that gold medal is making the junior national team, and once again, Gomez is optimistic. "I think I'll do welt and I think I'll place in the top six/' Gomez said. "I dream about being in first place. I've just got to hit all of my routines."
Julissa D'Anne Gomez challenged her teammate from Karolyi's during the recent American Classic meet. By placing second, Gomez, a first year elite, qualified Jar the Championships of the USA. (USGF photo 漏 1986 by Dave Black) .
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Seniors Division AII路Around American Classic April 11th & 12th, 1986 Provo, Utah
1 306 Melissa Marlow" Rocky Mountain Gymnastics Scats 2 363 Doe Yamashiro" 3 364 Sabrina Mar" Scats Karolyi's Gymnastics 4 355 Stacey Gunthorpe 5 371 Marie Rothlisberger" Scats Parkettes 6 315 Tracy Calore" Parkettes 7 312 Hope Spivey" 8 366 Angela P. Denkins Will-Moor School of Gymnastics 9 365 Rhonda Faehn Karolyi's Gymnastics 10 324 Robin K. Richter" Nebraska School of Gymnastics 11 353 Denise Villars ' Karolyi's Gymnastics Parkettes 12 319 Alyssa Solomon" 13 320 Cindy Tom" Verdugo Gymnastics Club 14 303 Gina Basile North Stars Gymnastics Academy 15 374 Kristine Johnson" Scats 16 317 Eileen Rocchio" Woodland 17 313 Jill Andrews" Almaden Valley Gym Club "Adjusted All-Around score determined by taking 60% of compulsory ties are broken by higher compulsory score.
Total Adjust Comp Opt AA AA AA AA 38.15 37.25 75.40 75.58 37.35 37.35 74.70 74.70 37.20 36.60 73.80 73.92 36.45 37.70 74.15 73.90 36.70 37.25 73.95 73.84 36.60 37.25 73.85 73.72 36.25 37.30 73.55 73.34 36.45 37.00 73.45 73.34 35.70 37.85 73.55 73.12 36.15 37.10 73.25 73.06 35.90 36.50 72.40 72.28 36.10 36.05 72.15 72.16 35.30 36.80 72.10 71.80 35.50 36.25 71.75 71.60 35.10 36.65 71 .75 71.44 35.15 36.10 71.25 71.06 35.30 35.85 71.15 71.04 score and 40% optional score. All
USA Gymnastics
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