© Champion Images

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 6, 2010 – Regions 8 and 1 won the Level 10 Junior Olympic 14-15 and 16-18 team titles, respectively, at the 2010 U.S. Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships at the Knoxville (Tenn.) Convention Center. Competition continues throughout the weekend with the Level 9 team competition, all-around finals, and individual apparatus finals.

Region 8 won the Level 10 14-15 Junior Olympic team title with a team total of 433.900. Region 5 edged Region 1, 426.950 to 426.400, to finish second. Region 8 had the highest team scores on five of six events. Region 5 posted the top score on vault. Jake Martin and Sean Melton of Orlando Metro led Region 8 and the 14-15 division with the top preliminary all-around scores, 89.750 and 89.500, respectively. Rodolfo Bonilla of Gym ETC tied for fourth (86.900). Maximilian Mayr of Universal Gymnastics was ninth (85.300). Zachary Owens of Roswell Gymnastics and Gared Chapman of ACE Gymnastics made up the rest of the Region 8 team. Martin, Melton and Mayr are current members of the junior national team.

In the Level 10 16-18 team competition, Region 1 claimed the division title with 427.900. Region 5 took second place(422.350), and Region 3 finished third (420.200). Region 1 recorded the highest team score on floor exercise, pommel horse and parallel bars, as well as second on the other three. The other best team totals on apparatus were: Region 7, still rings; Region 3, vault; and Region 5, horizontal bar. Sam Mikulak of SCATS led Region 1 and the 16-18 division with the top preliminary round all-around score at 89.850. Chris Turner of West Coast Gymnasticsfinished third in the all-around rankings at 86.000, while Jesse Glenn of SCATS placed eighth (85.050). The Region 1 team also included Dylan James of JosephsonAcademy of Gymnastics, Brandon Jessup of West Coast Olympic Gymnastics Academy, and Connor Stillwell of Mission Valley YMCA. Mikulak, Turner and Glenn are current members of the junior national team.

The top 36 all-arounders in each division from Thursday’s competition advance to the Level 10 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.

Photos by Champion Images

The competition schedule is: May 7, Level 9 – 8:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., prelims, and 6 p.m., team finals; May 8, all-around finals – Level 10 (ages 14-15) at 10 a.m., Level 10 (ages 16-18) at 2:30 p.m., and Level 9 at 7:15 p.m. Concluding the Men’s Junior Olympic National Championships are the individual event finals for all levels on May 9 at 12 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased at the Knoxville Convention Center at the admissions desk. Several different ticket options are available: all event passes – children 12 & under, seniors (55+) and active military for $65, and adults for $75; individual competition days (May 6-9) – children 12 & under, seniors (55+) and active military for $17, and 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. Formore 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 6, 2010
Level 10 Team Results

Team Results

Level 10, 14-15
1. Region 8, 433.900
2. Region 5, 426.950
3. Region 1, 426.400
4. Region 7, 416.100
5. Region 6, 410.100

Level 10, 16-18
1. Region 1, 427.900
2. Region 5, 422.350
3. Region 3, 420.200
4. Region 7, 418.500
5. Region 6, 415.800