BATTLE CREEK, Mich., May 7, 2016 – Eight Level 10 champions were crowned today at the 2016 U.S. Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Mich. For Level 10 athletes competing in the Junior Elite Division, the Junior Olympic National Championships is a qualifier for the 2016 P&G Gymnastics Championships (June 23 -26 in St. Louis). The top 24 ranked athletes in the 15-16 age group and the top 12 ranked athletes in the 17-18 age group automatically qualified to the P&G Championships.

Competition concludes tomorrow with the finals for Level 8 and Level 9.

In the junior elite division, athletes competed one day of optional routines followed by technical sequences. The all-around winners in each division are listed below.

  • 18 year olds: Thomas Chin of Gymnastics Olympica, 136.550
  • 17 year olds: Matthew Wenske of Cypress Academy, 142.450
  • 16 year olds: Shane Wiskus of Mini-Hops Gymnastics, 143.450
  • 15 year olds: Vitaliy Guimaraes of 5280 Gymnastics, 140.250

After the two days of optional Level 10 Junior Olympic division competition, the all-around champions are as follows.

  • 18 year olds: Caleb Rodriguez of Gym World Central, 164.400
  • 17 year olds: Dan Graham of Premier Gym Academy, 166.200
  • 16 year olds: Colton Dee of Danik Gymnastics, 164.050
  • 15 year olds: Jacob Yehling of Premier Gym West, 161.900

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 men’s medal-winning 2004 (silver) and 2008 (bronze) U.S. Olympic Teams, as well as the 2012 Olympic Team, are former Junior Olympic National Championships participants. Past participants include Paul Hamm, 2004 Olympic all-around champion; Jonathan Horton, 2008 Olympic horizontal bar silver medalist and 2010 World all-around bronze medalist; and Danell Leyva, 2012 Olympic all-around bronze medalist.