LONG BEACH, Calif., May 14, 2011 – Four more all-around champions were determined at the 2011 Women’s U.S. Junior Olympic National Championships at the Long Beach (Calif.) Sports Arena. The two-day event featured nearly 450 of the USA’s best Level 10 gymnasts, who compete on the highest level in the Junior Olympic program that is just under the elite level. Held May 15, the Junior Olympic National Invitational Tournament (NIT), held in conjunction with the Women’s National Junior Olympic Championships, allows an additional 192 athletes an opportunity to compete at the national level.

The NIT features gymnasts who ranked eighth, ninth and 10th in the all-around in each of the eight age divisions at the Level 10 Regional Championships (provided they achieved a minimum all-around score of 34.00), plus any Regional individual event champions who did not qualify to the Junior Olympic Nationals or the JO-NIT in the all-around qualify for that event.

The U.S. Junior Olympic champions determined on May 14 are as follows.

  • Junior C – Katie Bailey of Kernersville, N.C./High Point, won the all-around title with a score of 38.025, as well as the floor exercise title with a score of 9.600. Isabelle Castillo of Newark, Calif./CGA, finished second in the all-around with a score of 37.900. Toni-Ann Williams of Baltimore, Md./United Gymnastics, placed third in the all-around with a score of 37.850 and also won the balance beam title with a score of 9.600. There was a three-way tie for fourth place in the all-around between Myia Hambric of Temple, Ga./West Georgia, Zoey Schaefer of Minneapolis, Minn./Twin City Twisters, and Aja Sims of Orlando, Fla./Brandy Johnson’s Gymnastics, with a score of 37.625. Kana Kobayashi of Salt Lake City, Utah/Olympus, won the bars title with a score of 9.550. Alyssa Jackson of Belton, Mo./Xtreme, won the vault title scoring 9.675.

    Region 1 won the team title at 151.300, followed by Region 8 with 150.950 and Region 6 with a score of 149.950.

  • Senior C – Jessie DeZiel of Rogers, Minn./Twin City Twisters, claimed the all-around title with a score of 38.825, which included top honors on floor exercise at 9.800. Haley Scaman of Riverside, Ill./IGI, took second in the all-around with a score of 38.600 and grabbed two event titles, vault (9.900) and bars (9.650). Kaitlyn Clark of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Precision, finished third in the all-around with a score of 38.525 and won the beam title with a score of 9.675. 2009 World Vault champion Kayla Williams of Huntington, W.Va., finished fourth in the all-around with a score of 38.300.

    Region 1 took the team title with a score of 153.525, with Region 5 in second scoring 153.375 and Region 7 in third scoring 151.125.

  • Junior D – Charity Jones of Oklahoma City, Okla./Dynamo Gymnastics, won the all-around title with a score of 38.250, as well as tied for first on vault with Rachel Daum of Katy, Texas/Stars Gymnastics, with a score of 9.750. Megan Marenghi of Plano, Texas/WOGA, took second in the all-around (38.050). Kiera Brown of Newport News, Va./World Class, took third in the all-around (37.950). Rachel Haines of Greenville, Mich./Twistars USA, was fourth in the all-around with (37.925). Diana Mejia of Vancouver, Wash./Mac, won the title on bars with a score of 9.525. Nicole Medvitz of Paramus, N.J./ENA Paramus, captured the beam title with her 9.700. Daum, who tied for first on vault, also earned the floor title with a score of 9.650.

    Region 7 won the team title at 151.775, followed by Region 1 at 151.700 and Region 3 at 151.675.

  • Senior D – Georgia Dabritz of Newburyport, Mass./Ace, and Allison Flores of Addison, Ill./IGI, tied for the all-around title by scoring 38.300. Dabritz also claimed the gold medal on bars and floor with scores of 9.700 and 9.800, respectively. Sarah Persinger of Mt. Holly, N.C./Southeastern Gymnastics, was third in the all-around (38.200), followed by Chelsea Tang of Eugene, Ore./National Academy, in fourth at 37.925. The remaining two event titles went to Cerise Witherby of Huntington Beach, Calif./Wildfire, for beam (9.625) and Kaitlyn Betts of Canton, Mich./Euro, for vault (9.700).

    Region 5 took the team title with 152.075, with Region 1 finishing second (151.750) and Region 3 in third (151.325).

The Junior Olympic National Championships is the culmination event for the competitive season. The competition features eight age divisions (Junior A, Junior B, Junior C, Junior D, Senior A, Senior B, Senior C and Senior D), which are determined by age and birth date. USA Gymnastics has eight regions, and the winning Regions will also be determined at the conclusion of the competition.

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.