LB Wilson’s Passanisi Wins Gym Title

Ariel Passanisi is not afraid to concede that there were other things on her mind besides gymnastics before Saturday’s Southern Section championships at Los Angeles’ Marlborough High.

“I was up until 1 o’clock in the morning sewing laces on my dress (for the high school dance she attended Satruday night),” Passanisi said. “I was pretty tired. I wasn’t as focused as I should have been.”

Still, the Long Beach Wilson junior won the all-around title with 38.15 points.

Elissa Palmer of Marlborough was second with 37.15. Palmer, who had beaten Passanisi by .05 points last week in the all-around competition at the Southern California team championships, also placed second in the uneven bars (9.45), balance beam (9.60) and floor exercise (9.60).

Erin Winter of North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake was third with 36.80.

Danika Vittitoe of Long Beach Wilson (36.75) and Amy Ezell of Palos Verdes Peninsula (36.45) were fourth and fifth.

Passanisi won the balance beam and the uneven bars with scores of 9.65 in each and placed third in the vault and floor exercise.

“My workouts last week were minimal,” Passanisi said. “I had a lot of pressure from school and classes. The main pressure here was that I was coming in cold.”

Other winners included Winter in the floor exercise (9.65) and Michelle Tschirky of Long Beach Wilson in the vault (9.45).