Dominique Dawes had an outstanding routine, bringing the crowd to their feet and tying for the gold medal.
Gymnastics, placed 10th in the all-around followed by SCATS Shelley Engel,.a newcomer to the gymnastics scene, who finished 11th. Other National Team Members included: Chelle Stack, Cypress Academy; Hillary Anderson, New England Gymnastics Express; Michelle Campi, Pozsar's; Stephanie Woods, Capital; Juliet Bangerter, Desert Devils; Jennifer Mercier, Parkettes; Marna Neubauer, Great American Gymnastics Express; Suzanne Metz, American Twisters; and Larissa Fontaine, Aerials. Missing faces at this year's Championships include Betty Okino from Karolyi's Gymnastics. Okino was sidelined due to an elbow injury and is expected to petition into the World Championships Team Trials this August. Others missing from Championships due to injury were Karolyi's Erica Stokes and Illinois Gymnastics Institute's Agina Simpkins.
Kerri Strug, the youngest senior competitor at 13, won the bronze medal all-around.
WOMEN'S EVENT FINALS
Kim Kelly llloved up two notches from last year's finish to secure a fourth all-around.
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Dominique Dawes and Kim Zmeskal stole the show during the event finals. Dawes stepped onto the floor exercise mat to do her routine and the crowd nearly jumped out of their seats. Her opening pass is a roundoff, whip, whip, double full, punch front to roundoff flip flop, flip flop double back. Her next pass is a sky high piked full-in, back-out and she dismounts with a piked double back. The crowd loved it. Dawes primed the audience for the next floor exercise routine
by Zmeskal. Zmeskal opens with a full-in, back-out. She then throws a roundoff, three whip backs to double back and dismounts with a double back. This routine was awarded with a "Big Bela Hug." Both Dawes and Zmeskal tied for first with a score of 9.912. Kerri Strug became the youngest event champion in history when she won vault with a score of 9.825. Strug did a Yurchenko layout full twist and a front handspring front. Elisabeth Crandall won
bars with a 9.875. Her routine included a full-in,backout flyaway dismount. Shannon Miller won beam with a 9.887. Miller's mount is a press to back extension flip flop, layout. She also throws a series including a flip flop, layout, flip flop, layout, a flip flop to a side handstand and dismounts with a fullin, back-out. Miller's dream is to get a 10 on beam and, with this superb routine, it won't be long!
continued on page 41
USA GYMNASTICS July/August 1991