Blades leads Apollo gymnasts in season-opening competition

Apollo Gymnastics Center star Kristin Blades performed Saturday as if she was still participating in the Junior Olympic National Invitational Tournament.

After capturing gold medals on balance beam and vault at the Level 10 national invitational in Washington last summer, Blades opened the 2009-10 competition season by winning the floor exercise championship at the Richmond Fall Classic.

Blades scored 9.25 on floor and placed second in the all-around competition with and overall total of 34.6. She was second on uneven bars (8.35) and third on vault (9.15) as Apollo placed third in the team competition.

Larson Lasek of Richmond Olympiad was the all-around champion with a score of 34.775, but Apollo gymnasts claimed the next three spots with Kentucky recruit Paige Krall (34.325) placing third and North Stafford's Megan Melendez (34.075) finishing fourth.

Krall was the vault champion with a score of 9.25, while Melendez won on her best event -- balance beam -- with a score of 9.025.

Iowa State recruit Megan McDonald placed second on floor exercise (9.225) and Morgan Byrd was second on vault (9.225).

Apollo's Level 9 team also placed third behind a first-place vault from Anika Woodard in the senior division and outstanding routines from Jane Winstead and Julia Konner.

Woodard's score of 9.175 on vault was the highest individual mark of the competition for Apollo's Level 9 team. Konner took fourth place overall with a 34.475, while Winestead parlayed a second-place balance beam routine (9.025) into a fifth-place finish in the all-around (33.7).

Teammate Arianna Robinson won the uneven bars title in the junior division with a score of 8.875 and took second on vault with a 9.3.

Molly Overstreet captured an all-around title in the junior division while rising star Danielle Delaney won two individual events and placed first in the senior all-around with a score of 35.65 in the Level 8 meet as Apollo placed second in the team competition.

Overstreet earned first-place scores in all four events -- 9.3 on vault, 9.075 on bars, 9.15 on beam and 9.25 on floor -- en route to a 36.775 all-around total

Delaney was the vault (9.0) and floor (9.3) champion as well as the runner-up on bars (8.525) and balance beam (8.8).

Teammate Taylor Rozzi finished fourth on vault (8.35) and uneven bars (7.0).

In Level 7, Allison Arp placed second in the senior division all-around competition with a score of 35.175, while Siobhan Bernard won the uneven bars with a score of 9.375. Deanna Knox finished second on vault (9.25) and floor exercise (9.15) for Apollo.