More than 50 USA Gymnastics athletes are abroad this weekend, representing the U.S. at the Maia International Acro Cup, Maia Acro World Cup, Baku Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup, and the 2023 Aphrodite Cup.
The 17th Maia International Acro Cup will be held in conjunction with the 11th Maia Acro World Cup March 8-12 in Portugal. Nearly 30 junior U.S. acrobatic gymnasts will compete in the Maia International Acro Cup, including Willow Noble and Sydney Padios, who return to the event after earning silver last year in the 13-19 women's pair all-around. MIAC mixed pair all-around silver medalist Andrew Castro seeks the podium again as he returns with new partner Hailee Wong. Men's pair Davis Leavitt and Vlad Studwell also are among those slated for the event. Competition begins Thursday, March 9 with qualifications, and the top six teams from each division will advance to their respective finals.
Returning to the Maia World Cup are 2022 World men's pair combined and dynamic champions Angel Felix and Braiden McDougall. They will be joined by senior women's pair Mo Arthur and Ariana Katsov and women's group Mariam Tutberidze, Grace Vonder Haar and Kayla Vonder Haar. Qualifications take place Friday and Saturday, March 10-11, with finals for both competitions set for Sunday. The top six-eight teams per division, limited to two teams per country, will move onto finals in the World Cup. For more information including schedule and scoring for both competitions, please visit the event website.
The Stanford University trio of Riley Loos, Curran Phillips and Blake Sun will represent the U.S. at the FIG Apparatus World Cup March 9-12 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Loos will take on floor exercise, pommel horse along with Sun, still rings and horizontal bar alongside Phillips. Phillips and Sun will each also compete on parallel bars. Thursday kicks off two days of qualifications with apparatus finals to follow beginning Saturday at noon local time (3 a.m. ET). Please visit the event website for additional information and scoring.
Aphrodite Cup
Olympians Evita Griskenas and Lili Mizuno headline the gymnasts selected to participate in the 8th Aphrodite Cup March 10-12 in Faliro, Greece. Deanna Georgieva and Sophia Volkov are set to make their senior and international debuts while juniors Natalie de la Rosa and Erika Rusak look to add to their accolades. In group competition, the U.S. will be represented by the Senior National Group from North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center, comprised of Izzy Connor, Gergana Petkova, Katrine Sakhnov, Karolina Saverino and Hana Starkman, also including Daria Merkulova. The second group, including Maria Bolkhovitonova, Sasha Ilyina, Isabella Ivanova, Nicole Khoma and Emily Wilson will also be competing. More information can be found on the competition website.
Acrobatic Gymnastics
Mo Arthur — Rolla, Mo./Mid America Acro Tumbling
Roni Azerrad – Rockville, Md./Xtreme Acro
Andrew Castro - Riverside, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy
Rylee Chance — Blue Springs, Mo./Acro Explosion
Bryson Codrington — Schertz, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio
Isabella Collazo — Great Falls, Va./Xtreme Acro
Hannah Davis - San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio
Katelynn Duncan — Elk Grove, Calif./Technique Gymnastics
Angel Felix — Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy
Ruby Flackmiller — Blue Springs, Mo./Acro Explosion
Baylee Garnto — Folsom, Calif./Technique Gymnastics
Olivia Green — Silver Spring, Md./Xtreme Acro
Maddy Hunt — Crownsville, Md./International Elite
Giana Johnson — San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio
Ariana Katsov — Owensville, Mo./Mid America Acro Tumbling
Jada Lea — San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio
Davis Leavitt — Las Vegas, Nev./AGC Las Vegas
Maya Lissenkova — Las Vegas, Nev./AGC Las Vegas
Brookelyn McCaffrey — Lodi, Calif./Technique Gymnastics
Braiden McDougall — Riverside, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy
Kenna Morgan — Blue Springs, Mo./Acro Explosion
Bernice Moshos — Las Vegas, Nev./AGC Las Vegas
Sophia Nguyen — San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio
Willow Noble — Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy
Sydney Padios — Moreno Valley, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy
Avery Puleo — Arnold, Md./International Elite
Allyson Stone — San Antonio, Texas/Xtreme Acro
Vlad Studwell — Henderson, Nev./AGC Las Vegas
Anna Sullivan — Brookeville, Md./International Elite
Mariam Tutberidze — Owings Mills, Md./Emilia's Acro Gymnastics and Cheer
Ayla Vargas - San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio
Gabriella Vathy - San Antonio, Texas/Acrobatic Gymnastics of San Antonio
Grace Vonder Haar — Laurel, Md./Emilia's Acro Gymnastics and Cheer
Kayla Vonder Haar — Laurel, Md./Emilia's Acro Gymnastics and Cheer
Audrey Wang, Rockville — Md./Xtreme Acro
Hailee Wong - Colton, Calif./Realis Gymnastics Academy
Men's Artistic Gymnastics
Riley Loos — Folsom, Calif./Stanford University
Curran Phillips — Naperville, Ill./Stanford University
Blake Sun — San Antonio, Texas/Stanford University
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Maria Bolkhovitonova —Northfield, Ill./ North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Izzy Connor — Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Deanna Georgieva — Centennial, Colo./Zara Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy
Evita Griskenas — Orland Park, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Sasha Ilyina —Lake Zurich, Ill./ North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Isabella Ivanova — Kirkland, Wash./ North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Nicole Khoma —Northbrook, Ill./ North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Daria Merkulova — Vernon Hills, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Lili Mizuno — Northbrook, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Gergana Petkova — Barrington, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Natalie de la Rosa — Woodland Hills, Calif./Burlo Gymnastics
Erika Rusak — Auburn, Wash./Evergreen Rhythmics
Katrine Sakhnov — Glencoe, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Karolina Saverino — Elk Grove Village, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Hana Starkman — Deerfield, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Sophia Volkov — Glenview, Ill./North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center
Emily Wilson — Brooklyn, N.Y./ North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center