U.S. Gymnastics : Getting Off to Perfect Start, Phillips Wins
Kristie Phillips, 15, picked up a perfect 10 in the vault en route to winning the women’s championship Saturday night in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships.
The 4-foot 11-inch Phillips, who lives in Houston and trains with Bela Karolyi, had 77.320 points. Second was Melissa Marlowe of Salt Lake City with 76.120 points, followed by Sabrina Mar of Huntington Beach, Calif., with 76.00.
Phillips said her victory was keyed to her first event, the vault.
“Getting a 10 on the vault really psyched me up,” she said. “I was counting on my all-around game. But the vault really got me going.”
Phillips took the early lead in the compulsories with a score of 46.44. After starting her night with a perfect score in the vault, she was given a 9.40 on the uneven bars, 9.60 in her floor exercise and 9.60 in the balance beam.
Another Karolyi student, Rhonda Faehn, was also given a 10 in the vault.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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