© Team Photo

INDIANAPOLIS, May 18, 2019 – Six of the 12 all-around champions for the 2019 U.S. Junior Olympic National Championships were crowned today at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The U.S. Junior Olympic National Championships, which features 675 of the country’s best Junior Olympic female gymnasts, is the culmination of the competitive season for Level 10, the highest Junior Olympic skill level that is just below the elite level.

The all-around champions for each of the sessions are listed below. For sessions not yet completed, competition times are listed, which are in the Eastern time zone. Award ceremonies are held following each competitive session.

  • Junior A: Elle Mueller of Ham Lake, Minn./Twin City Twisters, 38.100
  • Junior A regional team ranking: 1. Region 1, 151.450; 2. Region 3, 151.350; 3. Region 7, 149.975
  • Senior A: Madelyn Williams of Vacaville, Calif./San Mateo Gymnastics, 38.450
  • Senior A regional team ranking: 1. Region 8, 151.525; 2. Region 1, 150.975; 3. Region 7, 150.550
  • Junior B: Ella Zirbes of Stillwater, Minn./Flips Gymnastics, 38.725
  • Junior B regional team ranking: 1. Region 4, 152.550; 2. Region 8, 152.150; 3. Region 7, 151.975.
  • Senior B: Talia Little of Rochester, N.Y./RGA, 38.325
  • Senior B regional team ranking: 1. Region 5, 151.825; 2. Region 3, 151.625; 3. Region 6, 151.525.
  • Junior C: Caitlin Smith of Houston, Texas/World Champions Centre, 38.250
  • Junior C regional team ranking: 1. Region 7, 151.675; 2. Region 5, 150.725; 3. Region 3, 150.575.
  • Senior C: Kiya Johnson of Coppell, Texas/Texas Dreams Gymnastics, 39.275. Johnson was a senior co-champion in 2018.
  • Senior C regional team ranking: 1. Region 3, 154.400; 2. Region 8, 153.950; 3. Region 4. 153.875.
  • May 19 — Junior D and Senior D at 9 a.m.; Junior E and Senior E at 1:45 p.m.; Junior F and Senior F at 6:30 p.m. All times are Eastern.

Tickets, available at the convention center, are $25 for general admission. Children two-and-under are free. All other spectators are expected to have a ticket. For more information on the event, go to the event website.

Junior Olympic national champions are named in the all-around, as well as in all four events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. The competition features 12 age divisions (Junior A, Junior B, Junior C, Junior D, Junior E, Junior F, Senior A, Senior B, Senior C, Senior D, Senior E and Senior F), which are determined by birth date.

USA Gymnastics is staging the event with the support of Visit Indy, Indiana Sports Corp and Sports Indiana.

USA Gymnastics has eight regions, and the top seven gymnasts from each region’s Regional Championships advance to nationals. The winning regions will also be determined at the conclusion of the competition. The top four all-around athletes in each age division qualify to the 2019 Junior Olympic National Team and are invited to attend a national training camp.

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

Numerous Junior Olympic champions and medalists 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. Many of the country’s well-known gymnasts are former participants in the Junior Olympic program, including the 2016 Olympic gold-medal winning Final Five (Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman), 2012 Olympic team champions Jordyn Wieber and Kyla Ross, 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin, and 2008 Olympic balance beam champion Shawn Johnson, to name a few.

Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. The organization is committed to creating a culture that encourages and supports its athletes and focuses on its highest priority, the safety and well-being of the athletes. USA Gymnastics has taken specific, concrete steps to strengthen its athlete safety policies and procedures. Former gymnast and business executive Li Li Leung is the new president and chief executive officer of USA Gymnastics. The organization’s disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and gymnastics for all (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, visit usagym.org.