Tiana Sumanasekera (World Champions Centre) spots the beam before mounting the apparatus during the 2023 Winter Cup. (© Amy Sanderson)
USA Gymnastics announced its women’s team for the 2023 Pan American Championships on Sunday, with four-time Junior Pan American champion Tiana Sumanasekera and two-time world cup gold medalist Joscelyn Roberson headlining the five-person team.
The full roster includes Sumanasekera, Roberson, Zoe Miller (all from World Champions Centre), Addison Fatta (Prestige), Nola Matthews (Airborne). Madray Johnson (WOGA) will serve as the traveling alternate.
The championships will take place May 26-29 in Medellín, Colombia.
The team was named during April’s national team camp in Katy, Texas, where a selection competition was held to determine the final squad.
Matthews topped the all-around with the only score above 54 (54.200), followed by Miller (53.950), Fatta and Sumanasekera (53.700), and Johnson (53.150).
The selection procedures highlighted a list of discretionary criteria to be considered when selecting the team, but whether on purpose or not, the team followed all-around rank order exactly, with the exception of Roberson, who had a standout performance in Cairo, Egypt, to secure her spot on the team.
Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey, world medalists Leanne Wong and Shilese Jones, and reigning U.S. all-around champion Konnor McClain were among those in attendance at camp but did not verify/compete in the selection competition.
McClain is eyeing the U.S. Classic for her return to competition after a back injury sidelined her from worlds and Winter Cup. She showed choreo on balance beam during camp.
The U.S. men’s team will be announced following a 1-day selection competition that will take place during the senior national team camp from May 3-7.
Per the published selection procedures, “The top scoring team utilizing a 5-4-3 team format will be named to the Pan Am Championships.” The next athlete in the top scoring team scenario will be named as the traveling alternate.
Ian Skirkey and Kameron Nelson, who competed at the Cairo World Cup this weekend, can opt to use their score(s) from qualifying at the world cup in place of that specific event score(s) at camp.
