Olympian Hezly Rivera Powers To Early Lead At U.S. Gymnastics Championships
The senior women will return to the floor at 7:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 10, for the second and final day of competition.
Here's how the action unfolded on night one in New Orleans.
Rotation 1:
Hezly Rivera was the highlight in rotation one. Rivera put her U.S. Classic falls behind her, but it wasn't an easy task: she started on the balance beam. After falling off the apparatus just a few weeks back in Chicago, Rivera cruised through her routine to post a 14.350, the highest beam score by an American woman in 2025.
With the score, Rivera surged to an early and sizable lead. Olympic alternate Leanne Wong also impressed on beam, sticking her dismount and hitting her connections for a season-high score and an impressive 8.350 execution score. Joscelyn Roberson, another Olympic alternate, started strong on vault with a 13.800.
While Wong and Rivera hit beam, two title-favorites struggled. Jayla Hang, the 2025 Pan American All-Around Champion, nearly fell on her first tumbling pass and seemingly recovered until falling on her final pass.
On bars, 2025 Winter Cup Champion Ashlee Sullivan looked to start her meet on a strong note. Unfortunately, the UCLA commit peeled off the bars on her release move, earning just a 12.050.
U.S. Classic All-Around Champion Claire Pease, Rivera's practice partner, hit her elegant beam routine for a 13.900, good for second going into the second rotation.
Skye Blakely made her return to elite gymnastics in rotation one, hitting her beam routine after returning from an Achilles injury incurred at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Though Blakely grabbed the beam for an automatic .500 deduction, she still posted a formidable 13.450.
With her score, Blakely would have finished in second at the U.S. Classic. Not a bad return to the bright lights of elite competition.
After One: 1. Hezly Rivera: 14.350, 2. Claire Pease: 13.900, 3. Gabrielle Hardie and Joscelyn Roberson: 13.800, 5. Leanne Wong: 13.750
Rotation Two:
Rotation two saw more of the same for Rivera and Wong. Rivera continued her stellar start in rotation two, hitting her challenging floor routine for another score over 14.00 – the gold standard in women's elite gymnastics.
Wong went next, nailing her opening tumbling pass for a near-perfect 8.500 execution score and a 13.800. After a rough start on floor, Hang roared back with a clean and powerful vault, good for a big 14.050.
Claire Pease was one of the top floor scorers in Chicago, but the same would not happen today in New Orleans. Pease came up very short on her opening tumbling pass, taking a huge hit to her event score.
Over on bars, Joscelyn Roberson went two for two on the night, hitting one of the best bar routines of her career. Roberson stuck her full-twisting double layout dismount without a flicker and to an immediate smile.
While the frontrunners battled it out, Dulcy Caylor quietly delivered a huge hit on beam, posting a massive 13.850, and Simone Rose continued a strong day on vault.
Olympic alternate Tiana Sumanasekera delivered another strong beam routine on her signature event, hitting her triple series for a 13.800.
After Two: 1. Hezly Rivera: 28.350, 2. Leanne Wong: 27.550, 3. Dulcy Caylor and Joscelyn Roberson: 27.450, 5. Gabrielle Hardie and Simone Rose: 27.000
Rotation Three:
Rivera's career day continued in rotation three. The 17-year-old competed on vault – typically her weakest event and her most significant test of the night. Like she had before, Rivera passed with flying colors.
The Olympic medalist had her best landing of the year, good for a strong 13.800 to maintain a substantial lead over the field. Wong went up next, and so came another hit. Showing the most power she's shown all year, Wong hit a huge Yurchenko double and completed a strong second vault to stay in contention for the vault event title.
With their two hits, the two Olympic teammates maintained their stronghold over the competitive field – but Roberson was not far off.
Known for her powerful beam work, Roberson impressed once again on the event on night one. The NCAA all-American on beam powered through a huge standing full twist and triple acrobatic series for a 13.800, pushing her into third place overall.
After a rough start on bars, Winter Cup Champion Ashlee Sullivan returned to her typical dynamic gymnastics, hitting a huge floor routine for a 14.000. With that much-needed score, Sullivan rocketed back into contention.
While Sullivan hit, Tiana Sumanasekera had a fluke fall on the same event, missing her timing on her third pass and falling backwards. Sumanasekera's exercise marked her first floor routine since sustaining an ankle injury earlier this year.
After Three: 1. Hezly Rivera: 42.150 2. Leanne Wong: 41.550 3. Joscelyn Roberson: 41.250 4. Simone Rose: 40.350 5. Izzy Stassi: 40.150
Rotation Four:
Heading into the final rotation, the field's veterans began to rise to the top, with three Olympic teammates leading the way. Rivera and Wong would finish on bars, while Roberson would complete her night on the floor.
In veteran fashion, Leanne capped her night with another hit on uneven bars. Wong flew through her release and double layout to close a fantastic start to her 2025 Championship. With a 13.500, Wong's total came to 55.100, a huge score – the second highest by a U.S. woman in 2025. But would it hold?
Ashlee Sullivan finished her day with another strong score, a huge 14.000. U.S. Classic Champion Claire Pease continued her struggles on day one, posting just a 12.350 on bars, typically one of her strongest events.
Needing a stronger floor score than she posted at the U.S. Classic, Roberson took to the floor with huge tumbling ahead of her. Though she stepped out of bounds on her second pass, Roberson nailed her upgraded passes, including her mount, one of the highest difficulty skills in women's gymnastics.
With her final stuck pass and a 14.150, Roberson capped a stellar starting day at the U.S. Championships. Just like that, Roberson leapfrogged Wong for the lead. Her 55.400U score now stood as the second highest of the year – but Rivera was still to go.
Needing a 13.250, Rivera just needed to stay on the bars. Weeks ago at the U.S. Classic, that was a tall order. But tonight, she fought hard. Rivera pushed through her routine, adapting to slight errors and fighting for the landing on the dismount.
It wasn't perfect, but it was a hit. With a 13.450, Rivera slid just past Roberson for the lead. Just a five-tenths difference separates the three Olympians heading into day two.
After Four:
1. Hezly Rivera: 55.600
2. Joscelyn Roberson: 55.400
3. Leanne Wong: 55.100
4. Dulcy Caylor: 53.800
5. Gabrielle Hardie: 53.750
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pete Carroll defends Geno Smith after Raiders QB flipped off Seahawks fan: 'Did you see what the sign said?'
Thursday's preseason game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks marked an early homecoming for Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith. But Smith's return wasn't quite as welcoming, after the veteran was caught flipping off a Seahawks fan holding a sign while he was coming out of the tunnel. In a press conference on Sunday, Carroll was asked early on about the gesture. But Carroll quickly jumped to the defense of his quarterback. "Did you see what the sign said?" Carroll asked. When the reporter confirmed that they had, Carroll kept things moving: "Next question." The fan's provocative sign read, "Bigger Bust — Geno or JaMarcus Russell?", prompting the reaction from Smith. Russell, a former No. 1 overall pick with a troubled NFL career, only lasted three seasons with the Raiders as quarterback before being released. (He recently made headlines again last summer, after being removed as a volunteer coach and sued by his high school.) On Thursday, Carroll was seen trying to take down the sign from the fan after the interaction, seemingly understanding the effect it had on Smith. Smith, who was drafted in the second round of the 2013 draft out of West Virginia, was on his way to becoming a career backup before finding his resurgence with the Seahawks. With Russell Wilson sent to the Denver Broncos, Smith won Seattle's starting job in 2022, eventually earning his first Pro Bowl nod and the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year. Carroll, who had coached the Seahawks since 2010, was a mentor for Smith during that time, before he and the team parted ways at the end of the 2023 season. When Carroll stepped out of retirement to take the Raiders' coaching job, it was only fitting to have Smith join him: The veteran QB was traded to Las Vegas in March. Smith eventually signed a two-year extension with the Raiders to keep him out of free agency next offseason. Thursday's preseason game ended with a 23-23 tie between Carroll's old team and his new one. In a game that primarily featured Aidan O'Connell at QB for Las Vegas, Smith played limited snaps, but went 1-for-3 for 15 yards in the draw.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wheeler Earns 10th Career Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour Win at Toyota Stage 7 at Saginaw Bay Presented by Ranger Boats
Tennessee pro clinches AOY title for $100,000, then catches 42 bass weighing 110 pounds to win tournament and take home top prize of $150,000 Wheeler Hoists No. 10 BAY CITY, Mich., Aug. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jacob Wheeler couldn't help himself. Time had already run out in Toyota Stage 7 Presented by Ranger Boats on Saginaw Bay with Wheeler atop SCORETRACKER®, his 10th career Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour win secured. Yet after Wheeler addressed the MLFNOW! viewers and offered some thank yous to those who had helped him get his tournament fishing start growing up in Indiana, he picked his rod back up and pitched a topwater frog back to the clump of reeds and lily pads in front of his boat, trying to elicit one more blowup. That summed up Wheeler's week on Saginaw Bay. Needing only to finish 27th or better to secure his fourth Fishing Clash Angler of the Year title in the past five seasons, he could have played it safe, then celebrated and gone through the motions after he secured the hardware on Friday. Instead, he not only made Sunday's Championship Round but overcame an early 22-pound deficit to Todd Faircloth and willed his way to a win in a three-way battle with Faircloth and Edwin Evers. His total of 110 pounds even on 42 scorable bass ultimately topped Faircloth by 7-6. For the win, Wheeler earned $150,000 – he'll leave Saginaw Bay with $250,000 and two trophies thanks to his AOY victory. The dream end to yet another dominant season left even Wheeler, who is no stranger to recapping victories, short for words. 'I still don't know what to say, to be honest with you,' he said with a chuckle. 'I don't even believe it half the time. I just go fishing and things happen. I'm just speechless. It's crazy, it really is.' Link to Hi-Res Photo of Toyota Stage 7 at Saginaw Bay Winner Jacob WheelerLink to Day 4 On-the-Water Photo Gallery: Stage 7 Championship Round kicks off on Saginaw BayLink to Day 4 On-the-Water Photo Gallery: Bass Pro Tour anglers finish 2025 season on a high note at Saginaw BayLink to HD Video of Highlights from Day 4 Championship Round Competition Wheeler took his first lead of the Championship Round with about 10 minutes left in Period 2. From there, he and Faircloth traded blows, the top spot on SCORETRACKER® changing hands six times during the final period. Wheeler finally took the lead for good by catching a 2-11 with 40 minutes left, then added five more scorable bass to pull away. In typical Wheeler fashion, he pointed not to those bites that earned him win No. 10 but a series of decisions that started on the opening day of the event. Wheeler spent the first period of Day 1 fishing for smallmouth on the outer edges of the competition boundary. Using a drop-shot and forward-facing sonar, he stacked up nearly 52 pounds, then spent the rest of the day largemouth fishing amid the shallow vegetation that lines Saginaw Bay. In the third period, he hit a key area that yielded more than 30 pounds in about 90 minutes. On the second day of qualifying, he once again sampled both shallow largemouth and offshore smallmouth, this time starting on the green fish. Like the rest of the field, he found the smallmouth bite to be getting tougher, making it difficult to justify the hour or so it would take to travel from largemouth habitat to smallmouth waters (or vice versa). So, Wheeler committed to frogging for largemouth during the Knockout Round. While he finished third, easily advancing to Championship Sunday, he knew the area he'd fished, which he shared with Brent Ehrler, wasn't likely to hold up for another day. 'After basically sharing one stretch with Ehrler, I'm like, I'm not going to win this tournament sharing fish, especially after we beat on them this bad,' Wheeler said. 'It was just not going to happen. I knew we'd probably catch some fish there in the morning, and then after that, it was going to be all about making the right decisions, and I'm going to have to have some stuff that I can get away from.' Sunday morning, Wheeler (and just about everyone else in the Top 10) found the bite slower than a day prior. Faircloth, on the other hand, landed on an offshore school of largemouth and piled on 17 scorable bass for 44-3 in the opening hour and a half. At that point, he'd more than doubled every other angler on the water. He finished the first period with 50 pounds exactly, 17-4 ahead of Wheeler. Wheeler knew he needed to find a fresh spot. He considered loading his boat on the trailer and heading for smallmouth waters. But first, he figured he'd check the area that had produced for him on Thursday afternoon. He hadn't been back since, figuring no other angler would find it since it was only accessible with a long first, Wheeler couldn't relocate his fish. A couple times in the second period, he wondered aloud whether to stay or go. Eventually, a few hundred yards away from where he'd caught them on Day 1, he started to get bites in bunches. In the span of 1 hour, 22 minutes, he boated 13 scorable bass for 33-12 and climbed all the way to the top of SCORETRACKER®. 'When I found them, it was pretty apparent that they all decided to show up right there,' he said. 'And I knew when that sort of happened and we caught them like that, there's a good chance we can win this tournament.' Wheeler targeted a mixture of reeds and lily pads in about a foot of water, catching almost all his bass with a frog but mixing in a Rapala CrushCity Bronco Bug. The key to his area, he believes, was that it wasn't full of submerged vegetation. 'You had a lot of reeds and pads there that were really clean, meaning there wasn't a lot of grass that was choking them out,' he explained. 'Even though it was super, super shallow, it was a deal where they could swim around and they could live in there; they had room to swim around. Where if you have choked out pads or reeds, they're not as good. A little bit of grass is good, but not a whole lot of grass.' As the third period ticked by and he and Faircloth remained neck-and-neck, Wheeler leaned on his ample experience in tight Bass Pro Tour finishes. Not only had he hoisted nine red trophies entering this event, he's fallen just short a few times, too, including a pair of runner-up finishes this season. Instead of skewing his decision-making, the pressure sharpened it. Wheeler, the ultimate competitor, entered 'kill mode.' 'I know what it takes to win,' Wheeler said. 'When I get in those positions, I get in kill mode. You do everything to push you mentally to keep your mind sharp and make the right cast, and every cast matters and every fish matters. You get it to where you're just like locked and trained to focus on that.' The last key decision he made was leaving the spot where he'd relocated his fish from Day 1. Perceiving that the bass had noticed his presence and scattered, Wheeler trolled out toward his starting spot and then back again, picking off a few bass on the way. He arrived at the juice with about an hour left and promptly caught eight more scorable bass. 'I didn't stay in there,' he said. 'I went back out and I was able to catch a few and sort of settle back down and come back in the last hour basically and close it out.' While Wheeler is no stranger to the winner's circle, this victory carries significance for a few reasons. For one, it's his first national win on a frog, one of his favorite techniques and something he said he 'cut my teeth doing.' It also represented the perfect ending to a season-long redemption tour. Earlier this year, he finished in the top six at Lake Conroe, the Harris Chain of Lakes and Lake Murray – all fisheries where he'd failed to make the Knockout Round during previous BPT visits. While he'd fared better in his first event on Saginaw Bay, finishing eighth in the 2023 regular-season finale, Wheeler had to watch another angler, Matt Becker, hoist both the Stage 7 and AOY trophies after that event. Finishing second to Becker by 4 points, that's the only time in the past five years Wheeler's campaign hasn't ended with AOY hardware in hand. He admitted that was on his mind this week. This time, Wheeler made sure it was him who gets to ride off into the offseason as a double winner. 'It definitely gave me a sour taste in my mouth,' he said. 'I caught them and Top 10'd, but I just didn't perform that week. I had a bad Championship Day. ... So, I was focused and determined that this one wouldn't get me. I controlled my own destiny that day, and I lost, which is what it's about. Thankfully, I didn't have the Angler of the Year pressure on me (today), but I was able to focus and just call it good.' The top 10 pros at the Toyota Stage 7 at Saginaw Bay Presented by Ranger Boats finished: 1st: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 42 bass, 110-0, $150,0002nd: Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas, 40 bass, 102-10, $45,0003rd: Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., 36 bass, 86-10, $35,0004th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 26 bass, 66-2, $30,0005th: Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 25 bass, 61-2, $25,0006th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 23 bass, 58-0, $23,0007th: Nick Hatfield, Greeneville, Tenn., 23 bass, 54-12, $22,0008th: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 21 bass, 49-15, $21,0009th: Keith Carson, DeBary, Fla., 18 bass, 45-7, $20,50010th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 18 bass, 43-6, $20,000 A complete list of results can be found at Overall, there were 272 scorable bass caught weighing 678 pounds even by the final 10 pros on Sunday. Pro Cole Floyd won Sunday's $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award with a 4-pound, 6-ounce largemouth that he caught on a Strike King Rage Tail Cut-R-Worm in Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day. The four-day Toyota Stage 7 at Saginaw Bay Presented by Ranger Boats was hosted by Go Great Lake Bay and the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and featured 66 of the top professional anglers in the world competing for a $150,000 top prize, a share of the $6.49 million season purse, and valuable AOY points in hopes of qualifying for the Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026, the Bass Pro Tour coverage of the Toyota Stage 7 at Saginaw Bay Presented by Ranger Boats will premiere as a two-hour episode starting at 7 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Nov. 15 on Discovery. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel. Proud sponsors of the MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing Co., Bass Force, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, BUBBA, E3 Sport Apparel, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Lowrance, Mercury, MillerTech, NITRO Boats, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Star brite, Suzuki Marine, Toyota and Zenni. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF's social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. About Major League FishingMajor League Fishing (MLF) is the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America's living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world's top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care. # # # Attachment Wheeler Hoists No. 10 CONTACT: Joe Opager Major League Fishing 2184340748
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Justin Rose rallies late and beats Spaun in Memphis playoff
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Justin Rose made up a three-shot deficit over the last five holes against hard-luck Tommy Fleetwood, and then made two birdies in a playoff against U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Sunday. Rose delivered another sterling performance, closing with a 3-under 67 for his 24th victory worldwide that puts him back into the top 10 in the world at age 45 and secures his spot in another Ryder Cup. He birdied four straight holes, and narrowly missed a 13-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at the TPC Southwind for a win in regulation. Rose wound up making six birdies over the last eight holes he played, the last one a 10-foot putt on the 18th on the third playoff hole. 'An amazing last 90 minutes,' Rose said. 'I played unbelievable golf down the stretch. When I bring my best, I know I'm good enough to play and to compete, and to now win against the best players in the world. Very gratifying day for me.' Spaun showed plenty of moxie on his own. He made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to pull into a share of the lead and closed with a 65. He also made a 30-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole with Rose in tight. 'I hung in there the best I could, and he beat me to the hole first. Just wasn't meant to be,' said Spaun, who locked up a spot in his first Ryder Cup. Lost in his remarkable rally was another setback for Fleetwood, who has become a sympathetic figure in golf for close calls and his graciousness in defeat. This looked to be his time to add a PGA Tour title to his wins around the world, especially when his 35-foot birdie on the 12th was the first of three birdies in a four-hole stretch that gave him a two-shot lead with three to play. But he hit pitch through the green on the par-5 16th and had to scramble for par. He was between clubs on the 17th, hit a poor shot and a worse par attempt from 7 feet for bogey. Needing birdie on the 18th to have a chance, he drove into a bunker. Fleetwood shot 69 and finished one shot out of the playoff along with Scottie Scheffler, who grazed the edge of so many putts on the back nine and had to settle a 67. 'There's a lot of positives to take, as much as I won't feel like that right now. I'm just going to look at what I feel like I could have done and how close it was,' Fleetwood said. 'All these experiences and these close calls, like I say, there's no point in allowing them to have a negative effect on what happens next. What would be the point?' he said. 'It was a great week. I did a ton of good stuff, and as disappointed as I am, I have to try to find the strength to make it all a positive experience and hopefully next time go again.' Scheffler has not finished worse than eighth place in his last 12 tournaments dating to March. He played the final round without his regular caddie, Ted Scott, who had an emergency family situation back home in Louisiana. Rose wasn't the only player leaving the TPC Southwind with a big smile. Bud Cauley was on the bubble for finishing in the top 50 in the FedEx Cup when he holed a bunker shot for birdie on the 17th hole and locked up his spot for the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs next week outside Baltimore. Rickie Fowler, who missed the postseason last year, shot 69 to tie for sixth and advance to the BMW Championship. Others who moved into the top 50 were Kurt Kitayama, Jhonattan Vegas and J.T. Poston. The top 50 are assured of being in all the $20 million signature events next year. There was plenty of movement around the bubble. Jordan Spieth never got on track this week, finished with a shot in the water on the 18th and shot 68 to tie for 38th to finish 54th. Chris Kirk was inside the top 50 until he hit into the water on the 15th for bogey and failed to birdie the par-5 16th. A closing birdie left him at No. 51. For all that was at stake, the best drama was at the top, particularly with Rose. He played in the final group with Fleetwood was three shots behind when Rose hit 6-iron to just inside 15 feet for birdie at the par-3 14th. He followed with two more short birdies, and then poured in a 15-footer on the 17th for his fourth in a row. 'This is going to be a fun one for us to celebrate,' Rose said. ___ AP golf: The Associated Press
