Minneapolis, Minn., May 11, 2013 – The last four of the eight all-around champions were named today at the 2013 Junior Olympic National Championships for women at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The two-day event featured nearly 450 of the USA’s best Level 10 gymnasts, who competed at the highest level in the Junior Olympic program that is just under the elite level.
Region 3 won the Super Team award with 55 points, followed by Region 5 with 44 points and Region 8 with 42 points.
The top four gymnasts in each age group make up the Junior Olympic National Team. The champions determined on May 11 are as follows.
Junior C – Nicole Lehrmann of Cedar Park, Texas/Capital, won the all-around title with a score of 38.300 and the uneven bars title with a score of 9.525. Brehanna Showers of Belmont, Mich./R-Athletics, finished second in the all-around with a score of 38.250. Showers won the title on vault with a score of 9.825. There was a three-way tie on floor exercise between Showers, Shea Mahoney of Algonquin, Ill./Legacy Elite Gymnastics, and Mason Hosek of Pearland, Texas/Champion, all scoring a 9.750. Third in the all-around went to Mahoney with a score of 38.225. There was a tie for fourth in the all-around between Maddie Karr of Stillwater, Minn./Twin City Twisters, and Jessica Wang of Chino Hills, Calif./Winner’s Academy of Gymnastics, both scoring 38.150. There was a tie for the balance beam title between Hosek and Britney Ward of Ozark, Mo./Missouri Valley, with a score of 9.625
Region 5 won the Junior C team title with a score of 151.900, followed by Region 4 with 151.850 and Region 3 with a score of 151.225.
Senior C – There was a tie for first in the all-around between Baely Rowe of Federal Way, Wash./Auburn GC, and Kara Lovan of Des Moines, Iowa/Triad, both with a score of 38.200. Third in the all-around went to Myia Hambrick of Temple, Ga./West Georgia, who scored a 38.175. Hambrick tied with Elena Lagoski of Kingston, Pa./Northeast Gymnastics, to win the floor exercise title with a score of 9.675. McKenzie Wofford of Cedar Park, Texas/Capital, finished fourth in the all-around with a score of 38.075. Wofford and Loven tied for first on uneven bars with their scores of 9.625. Pua Hall of Olathe, Kan./KGDC, won the vault title with a score of 9.800. Nicole Medvitz of Paramus, N.J./ENA Paramus, won her third consecutive balance beam title with a score of 9.725.
Region 8 won the Senior C team title with a score of 151.750 followed by Region 6 with a 151.450 and Region 3 with a 151.075.
Junior D – Alicia Boren of Franklin Lakes, N.J./North Stars, won the all-around title with a score of 38.275. Boren also took top honors on floor exercise with a 9.800. Alex McMurtry of Midlothian, Va./Richmond Olympiad, took second with a score of 38.175. Abigail Armbrecht of Mobile, Ala./Planet, took third in the all-around with a 37.800 and won the balance beam title with a score of 9.550. Taking fourth in the all-around was Elizabeth LeDuc of Plano, Texas/Metroplex, with a score of 37.725. Kirah Koshinski of Orangeville, Pa./Northeast Gymnastics, won the vault title with her score of 9.90. Winning the uneven bars title is Mckenna Singley of Clearfield, Utah/Olympus, with a score of 9.525.
Region 7 won the team title with a score of 152.150 followed by Region 3 with 150.375 and Region 5 with a 150.325.
Senior D – Kaytianna McMillan of Coburg, Ore./NAAG, won the all-around title with a score of 38.500. Ashleigh Gnat of Lake Mary, Fla./Ace, took second in the all-around with a score of 38.475. Gnat also took top honors on vault and tied for first on floor exercise. On vault Gnat scored a 9.900 for her double twisting Yurchenko, and on floor she scored a 9.750 to share the title with Kullen Hlawek of Fulshear, Texas/Champion. Nicolette McNair of Dove Canyon, Calif./Gym-Max, took third in the all-around with a score of 38.425 and also won the uneven bars title with a score of 9.725. With an all-around score of 38.225, Rachel Haines of Gowen, Mich./Gedderts’ Twistars, took fourth in the all-around. There was a four-way tie for the balance beam title with a score of 9.500 between McMillan, Ashley Lambert of Newport News, Va./World Class, and Mary Jane Rott of Stillwater, Minn./Rising Stars and Alyson Heimsath of Conroe, Texas/Stars Gymnastics.
Region 8 won the team title with a score of 152.475 followed by Region 3 with 152.175 and Region 1 with a 152.125.
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.
The 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.
The Junior Olympic National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is held in conjunction with the Junior Olympic National Championships. The JO-NIT was developed to allow an additional 192 athletes an opportunity to compete at the national level. The event 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. Competition is on May 12, at the Minneapolis Convention Center.