Former elites Elle Mueller, Ella Kate Parker win 2024 Nastia Liukin Cup

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – There’s more to gymnastics than the Olympics, and Elle Mueller (Twin City Twisters) and Ella Kate Parker (Cincinnati) both proved that when they won the 2024 Nastia Liukin Cup on Sunday.

Sure, at some point, every gymnast probably had or has a dream of being an Olympian, but there’s so much more to gymnastics than the Olympics. There’s winning state or regional or national titles as a club gymnast. There’s earning a college scholarship and competing in college. And in Mueller and Parker’s cases, there’s the prestige of winning the Nastia Cup – held by the 2008 Olympic all-around champion herself – after stepping back from elite gymnastics.

Mueller won the senior title with a 39.175 all-around title, tying for first on vault (9.875), winning bars outright (9.800), tying for second on floor (9.825), and tying for fourth on beam (9.675).

Avery Neff (Olympus/Utah commit) was second with a 38.900, bolstered by a 9.900 to win the floor title, and Ella Murphy (WOGA/Oklahoma commit), rounded out the podium with a 38.750, highlighted by 9.700s on bars and beam and a 9.800 on floor. Kamila Pawlak (Metroplex) won beam with a 9.750, and Jahzara Swaby-Ranger tied with Mueller on vault (9.875).

“I’m feeling ecstatic,” Mueller said after the meet. “It doesn’t even feel real right now, but I’m so excited. Just pays off – all the work.”

The Oklahoma commit said that she’s “super happy” with her decision to drop down to Level 10 after competing elite since 2021 and representing the U.S. internationally on three occasions.

“It’s just a lot of factors that went into it,” Mueller said of her decision. “But I’m finally finding my spark again, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Parker won the junior division with a 38.075, including first on beam (9.775), which she said she was most proud of because she was dealing with a “little bit” of a muscle pull in her glute. She also tied for third on vault (9.500), scored a 9.550 on floor and a 9.250 on bars.

Ella Fine (High Point) was second with a 37.600, including second on floor (9.675), and Morgan Reihl (Royal) was third with a 37.575, highlighted by second on beam (9.575). Keria Cameron (JamJev) won vault (9.750), Imani White (Brandy Johnson’s) won bars (9.650), and Emerson Gaa (Empire) won floor (9.750).

Parker had immense success in her junior elite career, winning back-to-back Winter Cup titles in 2021 and 2022 and competing at the DTB Pokal in 2022 as well.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without elite gymnastics,” Parker said. “I just felt like it was the right decision [to step down from elite] for me in this moment in time and this year, and I’m very excited with my decision. I just feel like I love what I did [in elite], but I’m also excited for this new chapter in my life.”

Full results from the 2024 Nastia Liukin Cup can be found here: Senior Results | Junior Results. Relive the meet with our play-by-play here.