Lexie Priessman wins junior women's AA at 2012 VISA Championships

© John Cheng

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ST. LOUIS, Mo., June 10, 2012 – Lexie Priessman of Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Gymnastics, won the junior all-around title at the 2012 Visa Championships this afternoon at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. Priessman posted a 116.400, followed by Madison Desch of Lenexa, Kan./Great American Gymnastics Express, in second with 115.850, and Simone Biles of Spring, Texas/Bannon's Gymnastics, in third at 115.600. Competition continues later today with finals of senior women's competition beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT.
"It feels great to win the Visa Championships," said Priessman. "Knowing that I started off with a fall on beam today obviously wasn't the greatest feeling, but I used that as motivation on the other three events. This does a lot for my confidence, especially moving up to the seniors next year."
Priessman, who was leading coming into the finals, had a slow start, falling on her series on the balance beam, her first event, and scoring only a 12.600. She came back strong on floor exercise, getting the audience behind her and scoring a 14.550. She moved on to vault, one of her best events, and showed her high difficulty Yurchenko two-and-a-half, which scored a 15.650. She finished strong with a solid bar routine punctuated with her piked Jaeger and a layout full-twisting double-back dismount for a 14.400 and clinch the all-around title with a two-day all-around total of 116.400.
Desch finished second in the all-around with a two-day total of 115.850. She posted a 15.050 on floor exercise, followed by a 14.850 on vault, a 13.900 on the uneven bars and a 14.850 on the balance beam. Biles was third in the all-around at 115.600. Biles had the competition's highest score on vault with her 16.000. She also scored a 14.050 for the balance beam, a 14.250 for the floor exercise, and a 13.900 for the uneven bars.
Biles won the vault title with her Yurchenko two-and-a-half twist, called an Amanar, earning a two-day total of 31.800.
On the uneven bars, Katelyn Ohashi of Plano, Texas/WOGA, showed impeccable form on her upgraded bar routine that included two Healys and an Ono to win the title with a score of 28.700.
Desch won the balance beam title with a score of 29.150, displaying a layout full twist series and a round-off, flip-flop, double tuck dismount.
Priessman wowed the crowd during her energetic floor routine with impressive tumbling including a double-twisting double back for her first pass and a full-twisting double back for her last pass to earn the floor title with a score of 29.800.
The 2012 Visa Championships, USA Gymnastics' national championships, features the country's best gymnasts vying for national titles and spots on the U.S. National Team in men's and women's gymnastics.