Archives for July 2021

Who is Jade Carey? Get to know U.S. gymnastics’ automatic individual Olympic qualifier

July 26, 2021 by Tara S

Jade Carey, 21, was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Tokyo Games are Carey’s first trip to compete at the Olympics.
Carey has a chance to compete in the individual event finals on vault and floor exercise.

While the other gymnasts at the U.S. Olympic Trials pulled out all of their best skills and anxiously fought for the chance to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, Jade Carey was completely calm. That’s because Carey’s spot on the team was already guaranteed

Carey is one of the athletes taking advantage of the FIG’s new team structure when she competes as an individual in Tokyo. A vault and floor exercise specialist, Carey should give the U.S. extra opportunities to bring home medals in the individual event finals.

Jade Carey competes on the floor during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Gymnastics competition at The Dome at America's Center.

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Jade Carey, an American Gymnast Competing as an Individual, Qualifies for Olympic Floor Exercise, Vault Finals

July 26, 2021 by Tara S

Jeff MetcalfeArizona Republic

TOKYO — Jade Carey’s untraditional path to the Olympics paid off.

The 19-year-old, competing as an individual instead of as part of the U.S. team, qualified for floor exercise and vaulting finals Sunday with her best performances of the year.

Carey and U.S. superstar Simone Biles, who had one of the roughest performances of her career in the third qualifying session at Ariake Gymnastics Centre, will compete in the vault final on Aug. 1 and floor final the following day.

MyKayla Skinner finished fourth overall in vault qualifying but is not eligible for the final because a maximum of two per country are allowed in the eight-woman event finals.

So it came down to one American knocking another out of contention for an individual medal for the U.S. spot open alongside Biles on vault and floor. Skinner tied with Jordan Chiles for the third-best U.S. score on floor.

“They did a good job,” said Tom Forster, USA Gymnastics women’s high-performance coordinator, of Carey and Skinner. “I’m fairly certain MyKayla is super happy to finally be an Olympian. She’s proud of herself as she should be.

“The people that made floor finals are the best athletes on floor, same on vault. It is what it is.”

U.S. gymnasts did not talk to the media after their session.

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Best of the Best: Future Gamecock, Local Standout Wins Third SC Gatorade Award

July 26, 2021 by Tara S

Jayla Jamison added another top award to cap her high school career.

The Airport High School junior was named South Carolina’s 2021 Gatorade Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year on Friday — it’s the third straight year she’s won the honor

Jamison is the first three-time winner in South Carolina since J.L. Mann’s Brianna Nelson did it in 2008-10. She is the first Midlands athlete to win three in a row since Spring Valley’s Monique Hennagan in 1992-94.

Jamison won in the long jump and the 100, 200 and 400 meters in the 2021 S.C. track and field championships in May. She was the lone Airport runner who placed in the meet and helped the Eagles to a third-place finish in Class 4A. Jamison’s four state championships give her 12 for her career. She won four events in 2018 and 2019. Had last year’s championships not been canceled because of COVID-19, she would have likely added to her total.

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Ola’s Amani Jones wins gold at Junior Pan American Championships

July 22, 2021 by Tara S

Amani Jones, fresh off her graduation from Ola, made history at the Junior Pan American Championships in Oaxtepec, Mexico.

Jones became the first Georgia high school girls wrestler to win a gold medal at the games, taking the freestyle title at 55 kilograms with a dominating 10-0 win over Mexico’s Victoria Chazez in the finals. The U.S. team won gold in the event with 176 points, finishing ahead of runner-up Mexico’s 147 and third-place Cuba’s 101.

“This is a huge step for Amani,” Ola coach Joey DiNino said. “She has international level aspirations and this is a step in the right direction. We are extremely proud of Amani.”

Jones, a North Central College (Ill.) recruit, won high school state championships the past three seasons, the first three the Georgia High School Association sanctioned wrestling. She also is a Girls USA Cadet Freestyle National Champion, a Girls Super 32 National Champion and a USA Today Atlanta Sports Female Wrestler of the Year.

USA CRICKET ANNOUNCES EASTERN/CENTRAL SQUADS FOR WOMEN’S SENIOR AND UNDER-19 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 21, 2021 by Tara S

The Women & Girls Selection Committee has selected a squad of 14 players to represent the Eastern/Central Conference in the National Championship.
A Women’s U19 squad of 14 players also selected to represent Eastern/Central Conference in historic first ever USA Cricket Women’s Under 19 National Championship.
Both squads have been selected after the conclusion of the Eastern Women & Girls Regional Tournament, held in Morrisville, NC.

USA Cricket is pleased to announce the squads to represent the Eastern/Central Conference for both the Women’s Senior National Championships, and the Women’s U19 National Championships, following the conclusion of the Eastern leg of the Regionals which was played over the July 4th weekend in Morrisville, North Carolina.

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