Just three weeks ago, Hezly Rivera walked away from the U.S. Classic in 12th place, defeated but not given up. On Day 1, she hit all four routines with calm precision and a quiet confidence that made the arena take notice. Her balance beam set, worth 14.350 after an inquiry, boosted her difficulty to 6.4, which was the best of the night. She backed it up with a 14.000 on floor, tying for second, then delivered clean, composed work on vault (13.800, despite a neutral deduction) and bars (13.450).

By the end of the night, her 55.600 total had edged her into first place, just ahead of Joscelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong.

She kept her composure through every landing, every leap, and every swing, carrying the same calm determination into her final four events. When the chalk dust settled, River

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