| Shantessa Pama | |
|---|---|
 Pama at the 2006 Junior Visa Championships | |
|
Country represented |
|
|
Born |
March 5 1991 |
|
Years on National Team |
2005-2006 |
|
Club |
Gym-Max |
|
Coach(es) |
Jenny Zhang, Howie Liang |
|
Current status |
Retired |
Shantessa Pama (born March 5 in Hawaii) is a retired American elite gymnast. Though her elite career was short, she was known for her impressive high difficulty in her routines. She was especially impressive as a junior, throwing a triple back dismount on uneven bars at a mere thirteen years old.
Career[]
2002-2003[]
Pama competed at the U.S Challenge in 2002, winning gold on floor exercise and placing tenth in the all-around. At the American Challenge the following year, she won gold in the all-around, uneven bars, and floor exercise, and silver on beam. She returned to the U.S. Challenge that year and won the all-around, uneven bars, and balance beam.
2004[]
Pama made her elite debut at the American Classic, winning bronze on floor and placing fifth on beam and thirteenth in the all-around. At the U.S. Classic, she placed twelfth on beam, sixteenth in the all-around, and seventeenth on floor. At her first Junior Nationals, she placed ninth on beam, tenth on floor, and eleventh in the all-around.
2005[]
At the U.S. Classic, she placed tenth in the all-around and on floor exercise. She returned to Junior Nationals to win silver on bars and place fifth in the all-around, sixth on vault, eighth on floor, and tenth on beam. She was promptly named to the National Team and made her international debut at the Mexican International Invitational. There, she won team and uneven bars gold, all-around bronze, and placed sixth on vault.
2006[]
Pama started off the season at the International Gymnix in Canada, winning uneven bars gold, floor exercise silver, and placing fourth in the all-around. She was named to the American team for the Pacific Alliance Championships, winning team and uneven bars gold and vault and floor exercise silver. She went on to place seventh on bars and beam and ninth in the all-around at the Junior Nationals.
2007 and after[]
In 2007, she struggled with an ankle injury, dropping down to Level 10. She intended to qualify for JO Nationals, then for elite during the summer, but she didn't qualify past the regional meet. She attended UCLA afterwards but never competed for the Bruins, retiring from the sport altogether.
Medal Count[]
| Year | Event | TF | AA | VT | UB | BB | FX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | U.S. Challenge | 10 | 1st | ||||
| 2003 | American Challenge | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | ||
| U.S. Challenge | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||
| 2004 | American Classic | 13 | 5 | 3rd | |||
| U.S. Classic | 16 | 12 | 17 | ||||
| Junior U.S. National Championships | 11 | 9 | 10 | ||||
| 2005 | U.S. Classic | 10 | 10 | ||||
| Junior U.S. National Championships | 5 | 6 | 2nd | 10 | 8 | ||
| Mexican International Invitational | 1st | 3rd | 6 | 1st | |||
| 2006 | International Gymnix | 4 | 1st | 2nd | |||
| Pacific Alliance Championships | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | |||
| Junior U.S. National Championships | 9 | 7 | 7 |