Alex Naddour was the 2009 all-around champion for the 16-18 year olds
© Champion Images

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., April 28, 2010 – More than 700 of the USA’s top Level 9 and 10 gymnasts will compete in the 2010 U.S. Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships, May 6-9, at the Knoxville (Tenn.) Convention Center. The event features competition in regional team, all-around and individual apparatus.

The levels are determined by age and skill level. Level 10 is split into two age groups, 14-15 years old and 16-18 years old, while Level 9 is only 12-13 years old. The Junior Olympic National Championships are a qualifier for Level 10 gymnasts to advance to the Visa Championships (Aug. 10-14 in Hartford, Conn.), where the national teams for both age groups are determined. The top gymnasts in Level 9 are named to the Junior Olympic National Team.

The opening ceremony for the Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships is May 5 at 7 p.m. ET. Level 10 and Level 9 athletes compete on May 6 and 7, respectively, and each day has two sessions of individual event qualification, followed by regional team finals. The competition schedule is: May 6, Level 10 (14-15 and 16-18) – 8:20 a.m. and 1 p.m., preliminary rounds, and 5:30 p.m., team finals; May 7 Level 9 – 8:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., prelims, and 6 p.m., team finals; May 8, and all-around finals – Level 10 (ages 14-15) at 10 a.m., Level 10 (ages 16-18) at 2:30 p.m. and Level 9 at 7:15 p.m. Concluding the Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships are the individual event finals for all levels on May 9 at 12 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased at the Knoxville Convention Center at the admissions desk. Several different ticket options are available: all event passes – children 12 & under, seniors (55+) and active military immediate family for $65, and adults for $75; training day (May 5) – children 12 & under, seniors and active military immediate family (55+) for $12, and adults for $15; opening ceremony (May 5) – children 12 & under, seniors and active military immediate family (55+) for $14, and adults for $17; and competition days (May 6-9) – children 12 & under, seniors and active military immediate family (55+) for $17, and adults for $20. All children ages four and under are admitted free. ID is required for age-specific and military rates. Tickets are cash only.

Premier Athletics is the host club for the Junior Olympic Championships. The meet co-directors will be Steve Butcher and Phil Savage.

To advance to the Junior Olympic National Championships, gymnasts compete in state and regional championships and qualify based on their all-around or multiple-event scores, or through regional allotment. For more information on the event, go to www.2010jomen.com.

The U.S. Junior Olympic National Championships is one of the national championships of USA Gymnastics, the sport’s national governing body in the United States. Many Junior Olympic champions have gone on to make the U.S. National Team and represent the United States in international competition and/or to compete in collegiate gymnastics. All of the members of the medal winning 2004 (silver) and 2008 (bronze) U.S. Olympic Teams are past Junior Olympic National Championships participants, including Paul Hamm, 2004 Olympic all-around champion, and Jonathan Horton, 2008 Olympic horizontal bar silver medalist.