The lure of sunshine, warm weather, and high level gymnastics is drawing athletes from around the country to Sacramento, CA this week. The National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC) is expecting its 28th annual National Championships to be the largest one yet.

This year’s event will showcase over 1,100 male and female gymnasts from almost 90 clubs throughout the nation. With many new individuals and several new clubs in the mix, this will be an exciting event with great gymnastics!

Dates: April 14–16, 2016
Location: Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J St., Sacramento, CA 95814
Preliminary competition: Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m.
Finals competition: Saturday 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Admission: Free, donations accepted
Event Website: NAIGC.net/nationals

The men’s Classic Division is sure to be exciting this year with a large majority of the top six finishers from 2015 returning on all six events. Bryan Chu from University of California, Berkeley and Purdue University teammates Dalton Byerly and Clay Thomas are expected to make finals in multiple events and battle for the top spot in the All-Around competition. UC Berkeley dominated the team competition last year, but their top gymnast (Jamie Corona) will only be competing on four events this year due to an injury. They will be challenged by Purdue University, who is bringing back all of last year’s top performers, and by the NAIGC Alumni Club which includes Ron Ayello, Clint Gyory, and Brian Hulbert.

The University of Oklahoma and Temple University are expected to battle for the top team spot in the men’s Collegiate Division. Individual gymnasts to watch for include: Ryan Terrill (University of Oklahoma), Antone Wright (Temple University), Drew Archer (Texas A&M University) and Jakob Welsh (Temple University).

There was significant turnover this year in the women’s Level 8 competitors. Most of the top finishers, including the three top all-around gymnasts are not returning in 2016. Furthermore, the top two teams from last year (Virginia Tech and University of Virginia) are returning only half of their gymnasts this year.

James Madison University has clinched the Level 9 team titles the past two years and is returning a large majority of gymnasts, so expect the Duke Dogs to be a top contender again this year. The top All-Around spot will likely be a battle amongst the following gymnasts: Molly Stuckey from Gymnastics at the University of Houston; Kassina Kim-Hayes from University of Minnesota; Mieley Conrad from Ohio State University; and Victoria Henderson from University of California, Davis.

About the NAIGC:
The National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC) is dedicated to the promotion and support of collegiate and adult club gymnastics “For the Love of the Sport.” The NAIGC hosted its first annual national championships in 1989. In 2006, the NAIGC elected its first Board of Directors and incorporated as a non-profit. The NAIGC was recognized as a tax-exempt public charity in 2008.

Today, an elected Board of Directors, alongside its advisors, runs the NAIGC. Most of these dedicated volunteers are current and former college club gymnasts. The NAIGC hosts this annual national championship meet, as well as other gymnastics events throughout the year and supports its member clubs with variety of technological and administrative services.

Club membership in the NAIGC is open to any collegiate and/or adult gymnastics club in the United States. Individual membership is open to anyone with an interest in club gymnastics. For more information, visit naigc.net.