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KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 7, 2010 – Region 3 won the Level 9 Junior Olympic team title at the 2010 U.S. Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships at the Knoxville (Tenn.) Convention Center. The three clubs that composed the Region 3 team all hail from the state of Texas. Competition continues with Level 9 & 10 all-around finals on Saturday and individual apparatus finals on Sunday.

Region 3 won the Level 9 Junior Olympic team title with a total of 403.900. Region 4 finished in second place at 399.000, and Region 5 took third with 394.400. Region 3 posted the highest team scores on three events: floor exercise, still rings and vault. Region 5 recorded the top score on pommel horse; Region 4 earned top marks on parallel bars; and Region 9 captured the highest total on horizontal bar.

Tristan Burke of WOGA led Region 3, qualifying third overall in the all-around at 81.250. Hunter Justus and Colin Van Wicklen of Cypress Academy finished fourth and ninth, respectively. Other members of the Region 3 team included Jacob Barrus of Ridgewood Gymnastics, and WOGA’s Ryan Sheppard and Yaroslav Pochinka. Hunter is a current member of the U.S. Junior National Team.

Yul Moldauer of 5280 earned the top preliminary all-around score with an 84.050. Moldauer is also a member of the national team.

The top 36 all-arounders from Level 9, Level 10 (14-15) and Level 10 (16-18) advance to the all-around finals on Saturday, May 8.

The Junior Olympic levels are determined by age and skill level. Level 10 is split into two age groups, 14-15 years old and 16-18 years old, while Level 9 is only 12-13 years old. The Junior Olympic National Championships are a qualifier for Level 10 gymnasts to advance to the Visa Championships (Aug. 10-14 in Hartford, Conn.), where the national teams for both age groups are determined. The top gymnasts in Level 9 are named to the Junior Olympic National Team.

The state breakdown by region is as follows: Region 1 – Arizona, California – North, California – South, Hawaii, Nevada; Region 2 – Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington; Region 3 – Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas; Region 4 – Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin; Region 5 – Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio; Region 6 – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont; Region 7 – Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia; Region 8 – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee; and Region 9 – Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming.

The 2010 Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships conclude on Sunday, May 9 with individual event finals for all levels at 12 p.m.

Photos by Champion Images

Tickets may be purchased at the Knoxville Convention Center at the admissions desk. Individual tickets are still available – children 12 & under, seniors (55+) and active military for $17 with adults for $20. All children four and under are admitted free. ID is required for age-specific and military rates. Tickets are cash only.

Premier Athletics is the host club for the Junior Olympic Championships.

To advance to the Junior Olympic National Championships, gymnasts compete in state and regional championships and qualify based on their all-around or multiple-event scores, or through regional allotment. For more information on the event and live scoring, go to www.2010jomen.com.

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 medal winning 2004 (silver) and 2008 (bronze) U.S. Olympic Teams are past Junior Olympic National Championships participants, including Paul Hamm, 2004 Olympic all-around champion, and Jonathan Horton, 2008 Olympic horizontal bar silver medalist.

2010 Men’s Junior Olympic Championships
Knoxville Convention Center
Knoxville, Tenn.
May 7, 2010
Level 9 Team Results

Team Results
Level 9
1. Region 3, 403.900
2. Region 4, 399.000
3. Region 5, 394.400
4. Region 9, 393.250
5. Region 1, 392.100