LANSING, Mich.—The Greater Lansing Sports Authority (GLSA), Twistars USA Gymnastics Club and the Summit Sports and Ice Complex are pleased to announce that USA Gymnastics has selected Greater Lansing, Michigan as a site for one of its three Women’s Junior Olympic Championship events, the 2017 Junior Olympic Level 9 Eastern Championships. Slated for April 28-30 the event will encompass four regions bringing nearly 500 athletes to the community for three days of top competition.
"We look forward to staging the championship event in Greater Lansing next year, and we encourage fans to come out and support these outstanding athletes," said Rhonda Faehn, Senior Vice-President of women’s gymnastics for USA Gymnastics.
The U.S. Junior Olympic National Championships is the culmination of the competitive season for Level 10, the highest Junior Olympic skill level that is just below the elite level. The Eastern and Western Championships serve as the pinnacle for Level 9.
Numerous Junior Olympic champions and medalists have gone on to make the U.S. National Team and represent the United States in international competition, including 2012 Olympic team champions Jordyn Wieber and Kyla Ross, 2009 World vault champion Kayla Williams and 2008 Olympic team silver-medalists Shawn Johnson and Samantha Peszek, to name a few.
“The Greater Lansing gymnastics community is proud to be a part of this high-profile tournament,” said John Geddert, President and Head Coach of Twistars Gymnastics Club. “Twistars, the Summit and the GLSA will work together to deliver a quality event for USA Gymnastics and the top gymnasts in the country.”
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and group gymnastics. For more complete information, log on to www.usagym.org
The Greater Lansing Sports Authority (GLSA) is a division of the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. The GLSA’s mission is to be the leading voice of sports tourism in the Greater Lansing area and to promote economic growth by attracting a diverse range of sporting events to the region. The GLSA strives to enhance the quality of life for area residents through the development of local sports and fitness programs for all ages, and to support the continued development and maintenance of safe, high-quality athletic facilities.
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