Karmansky wins three rhythmic gold medals at 2005 Visa Championships

Just two days after winning the All Around Rhythmic Gymnastics Title at the 2005 Visa Championships, Olga Karmansky of Nova, won gold medals in the rope, ball and ribbon Finals.  Lisa Wang of Rhythmic Gems, won the clubs Title, after finishing second in the All Around, and tied with Olga Karmansky for the ball event title. In the junior division, Julie Zetlin of Rhythmflex, who won the all-around silver medal, won four of four individual event titles with a fantastic performance.

The top six athletes on each event from Thursday’s preliminary competition qualified to today’s event final.

“I was a little tired from the first day when I gave it all that I had. Now, I’m looking forward to the World Training Camp in California,” Karmansky said.

Brenann Stacker of Illinois Rhythmics, placed third in rope, clubs and ribbon, and Aline Bakchadjian of Hollywood Academy, bronze medallist in the All Around also won bronze in ball. Lisa Wang earned silver medals in rope and ribbon and Karmansky took silver in clubs.

Julie Zetlin was first in the All Around at this year’s Rhythmic Challenge, and during the preliminariess, she placed second in rope and hoop and third in clubs and ribbon behind Rachel Marmer of Hollywood Academy, who had the highest score on all four events.

“I didn’t even think about winning each event,” Zetlin said. “I was less nervous and wasn’t afraid to do more. It was more fun than nerve-racking. I just tried to have a lot of fun and get the audience and the judges into my routines.”

Marmer took second in all four events while Marlee Shape of Illinois Rhythmic, won bronze in both the rope and ribbon finals, Tracy Agyeman of Isadora’s, earned bronze in clubs and Kristian Brooks of Sports Club of Novi, earned bronze in hoop.

Rhythmic gymnastics event finals

Senior Division

Rope
1. Olga Karmansky, Nova, Brooklyn, N.Y., 13.625
2. Lisa Wang, Rhythmic Gems, Buffalo Grove, Ill., 13.375
3. Brenann Stacker, Illinois Rhythmics, Lincolnshire, Ill., 13.175
4. Alexandra Licona, Hollywood Academy, Culver City, Calif., 12.500
5. Julia Itkina, California Rhythms, Los Angeles, Calif., 12.200
6. Diana Mkhitaryan, Hollywood Academy, Los Angeles, Calif., 11.925

Ball
1. Olga Karmansky, Nova, Brooklyn, N.Y., 13.650
1. Lisa Wang, Rhythmic Gems, Buffalo Grove, Ill., 13.650
3. Aline Bakchadjian, Hollywood Academy, Woodland Hills, Calif., 13.425
4. Valery Kharina, Illinois Rhythmics, Deerfield, Ill., 12.625
5. Vlada Yurkin, Hollywood Academy, Los Angeles, Calif., 12.425
6. Alexandra Licona, Hollywood Academy, Culver City, Calif., 12.225

Clubs
1. Lisa Wang, Rhythmic Gems, Buffalo Grove, Ill., 13.850
2. Olga Karmansky, Nova, Brooklyn, N.Y., 13.825
3. Brenann Stacker, Illinois Rhythmics, Lincolnshire, Ill., 13.625
4. Aline Bakchadjian, Hollywood Academy, Woodland Hills, Calif., 13.250
5. Marina Moskolenko, Nova, Brooklyn, N.Y., 12.225
6. Julia Itkina, California Rhythms, Los Angeles, Calif., 12.000

Ribbon
1. Olga Karmansky, Nova, Brooklyn, N.Y., 13.900
2. Lisa Wang, Rhythmic Gems, Buffalo Grove, Ill., 13.675
3. Brenann Stacker, Illinois Rhythmics, Lincolnshire, Ill., 13.600
4. Aline Bakchadjian, Hollywood Academy, Woodland Hills, Calif., 12.975
5. Alexandra Licona, Hollywood Academy, Culver City, Calif., 12.625
6. Ava Gehringer, Rhythmic Gems, Evanston, Ill., 12.025

Junior division event finals

Rope
1. Julie Zetlin, Rhythmflex, Bethseda, Md., 13.850
2. Rachel Marmer, Hollywood Academy, Los Angeles, Calif., 13.525
3. Marlee Shape, Illinois Rhythmics, Buffalo Grove, Ill., 12.350
4. Tracy Ageman, Isadora's, Queens, N.Y., 12.150
5. Kristian Brooks, Sports Club of Novi, Coronna, Mich., 11.875
6. Lea Lamprecht, Global Gymnastics, Tiburen, Calif., 10.175

Hoop
1. Julie Zetlin, Rhythmflex, Bethseda, Md., 13.725
2. Rachel Marmer, Hollywood Academy, Los Angeles, Calif., 13.600
3. Kristian Brooks, Sports Club of Novi, Coronna, Mich., 12.500
4. Tracy Agyeman, Isadora's, Queens, N.Y., 12.475
5. Reba Daniels, KMC Rhythmics, Cochranville, Pa., 11.550
6. Rebecca Wallenstein, International Rhythmic, St. Augustine, Fla., 11.225

Clubs
1. Julie Zetlin, Rhythmflex, Bethseda, Md., 13.925
2. Rachel Marmer, Hollywood Academy, Los Angeles, Calif., 13.550
3. Tracy Ageman, Isadora's, Queens, N.Y., 12.650
4. Marlee Shape, Illinois Rhythmics, Buffalo Grove, Ill., 12.475
5. Rebecca Wallenstein, International Rhythmic, St. Augustine, Fla., 12.125
6. Kristian Brooks, Sports Club of Novi, Coronna, Mich., 11.575

Ribbon
1. Julie Zetlin, Rhythmflex, Bethseda, Md., 13.100
2. Rachel Marmer, Hollywood Academy, Los Angeles, Calif., 13.075
3. Marlee Shape, Illinois Rhythmics, Buffalo Grove, Ill., 11.775
4. Kristian Brooks, Sports Club of Novi, Coronna, Mich., 11.550
5. Caroline Pahl, Rhythmic Gems, Bloomingdale, Ill., 11.200
6. Rebecca Wallenstein, International Rhythmic, St. Augustine, Fla., 11.000

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Karmansky wins Rhythmic Gymnastics National Championships

Marmer claims third straight junior national champion title

IAfter finishing in the runner-up spot for the last four years, Olga Karmansky finally captured the all-around gold at the rhythmic competition of the 2005 Visa Championships with a score of 56.725. Lisa Wang of Buffalo Grove, Ill., took second and Aline Bakchadjian of Woodland Hills, Calif won bronze.

 Olga has a superb competitive record, and had already won the All Around Senior Title at this year’s Rhythmic Challenge in Colorado Springs as well as a second place in the 2004 Olympic Trials said "I was pretty happy with all four events. I had two wobbles with the clubs, but I think I can fix that for World’s and compete perfectly there." She credited a change in training to her strong performance. "Since my gym is an artistic gym with a spring floor, we went to upstate New York for about a week, where there are better facilities," she said. “There we could train on a wooden floor and a higher ceiling."

Silver Medallist Lisa Wang scored a total of 55.575 with a high of 14.100 with Clubs, and bronze medallist Aline Bakchadjian of Hollywood Academy scores a total of 52.650.  

 In the junior division, Rachel Marmer of Los Angeles, Calif., swept all four events to win her third straight all-around national title. Julie Zetlin of Bethseda, Md., won Silver, with Kristian Brooks of Coronna, Mich., winning bronze.

Rachel Marmer, who competes for Hollywood Academy, recently won a gold medal at the Aphrodite International Rhythmic Competition in Cyprus on July 9, and won Silver at the 2005 Rhythmic Challenge. She also placed third in the Torneio International in Portugal winning Gold in the Ribbon and silver in the  rope and hoop finals.