INDIANAPOLIS, May 7, 2018 – More than 680 of the country’s top Level 10 Junior Olympic gymnasts are headed to Cincinnati for the 2018 Women’s Junior Olympic National Championships May 12-13 at the Duke Energy Convention Center. Six 2017 national Junior Olympic all-around champions are among the young women expected to compete in the 2018 national championships. Level 10 is the highest level in the Junior Olympic program, which is just under the elite level.

The returning champions are: Haleigh Bryant of Cornelius, N.C./Everest Gymnastics; Abby Brenner of Lewisville, Texas/Metroplex Gymnastics; Makarri Doggette of Pickerington, Ohio/Buckeye Gymnastics; Jillian Hoffman of Murrieta, Calif./SCEGA Gymnastics; Quinn Smit of Phoenix, Ariz./Arizona Sunrays; and Matilyn Waligora of Rochester, Mich./Olympia Gymnastics Academy.

The competition schedule is as follows. Start and finish times are estimates that do not include the pre-competition warm-up.

  • Saturday, May 12
    9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Session 1: Junior A and Senior A competition
    1:45-5:15 p.m. – Session 2: Junior B and Senior B competition
    6:30-10 p.m. – Session 3: Junior C and Senior C competition
  • Sunday, May 13
    9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Session 4: Junior D and Senior D competition
    1:45-5:15 p.m. – Session 5: Junior E and Senior E competition
    6:30-10 p.m. – Session 6: Junior F and Senior F competition

Tickets may be purchased online and onsite. Prices for competition day passes are: $10, Training; $25, Saturday; $25, Sunday; $50, All-session; and free/children under 2.

The Junior Olympic National Championships is the culmination event for the competitive season. The competition features 12 age divisions (Junior A, Junior B, Junior C, Junior D, Junior E, Junior F, Senior A, Senior B, Senior C, Senior D, Senior E and Senior F), which are determined by birth date. These gymnasts are vying to become Junior Olympic national champions in the all-around, as well as in all four events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. For more information about the event, please visit www.jonationals.com.

USA Gymnastics has eight regions, and the top seven gymnasts from each region’s Regional Championships advance to nationals. The winning regions will also be determined at the conclusion of the competition. The top four all-around athletes in each age division qualify to the 2018 Junior Olympic National Team and are invited to attend a national training camp.

The states that comprise each region are: Region 1 — Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah; Region 2 – Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington; Region 3 – Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming; Region 4 – Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin; Region 5 – Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio; Region 6 – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont; Region 7 – Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia; and Region 8 – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee.

USA Gymnastics is staging the event in conjunction with the Cincinnati Sports Commission.

Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and group gymnastics. For more complete information, log on to usagym.org.