Kimble, Modi, & More Win J.O. National Titles Under New Format

Kimble, Modi, & More Win J.O. National Titles Under New Format

Aug 31, 2021 by Anne Phillips
Kimble, Modi, & More Win J.O. National Titles Under New Format


As expected after his record-breaking preliminary competition on Thursday, Swiss Turners phenom Marvin Kimble was crowned Junior (15-16) All Around Champion at the 2013 J.O. National Championships. He also concluded his weekend winning an astonishing 5 of the 6 individiual events. Kimble dominated the entire compeition with a world class 94.050 all around score in prelims. Click here to read more about that incredible performance. 

In the senior elite age division, Akash Modi of Monmouth used a clean day two performance to edge Dmitri Belanovski for the gold. These athletes were competing in the new "junior elite" division with others hoping to advance to this summer's U.S. Championships. 

And finally, your Level 10 all around Champions are: Vitali Kan of Swiss Turners, 159.650, 15 years-old; Fletcher Braunton of Black Hills, 16 years old; Travis Gollott of West Coast, 168.300, 17 years old; and Logan Melander of Black Hills, 163.700, 18 years old.

Are you confused? Us too. Let's back up a bit. 

There were obscure new rules for this year's men's J.O. National Championships. For starters, they divided the guys into two groups: Junior Olympic (level 10), and Junior Elite (boys hoping to do elite level gymnastics). The biggest change beyond that was the introduction of "technical sequences", a compulsory style competition for the competitors in the "Junior Elite" section which appears to be scored out of a 10.0. All competitors - whether J.O. or J.E. - used FIG elite scoring for optional competition. 

Qualification competition took place with all competitors Thursday. On Saturday, the Junior Elite competition concluded with technical sequences competition, and the Junior Olympic athletes competed another day of optional competition in four different age groups broken up by year. 

If you're looking for more, please check out Stickitmedia who provides a great recap of the weekend as well as analysis of the new format. He's still undecided on the overall success of the changes and hopes to see "more transparent discussion of the new format within the entire men’s gymnastics community."

 
Below is the full finals recap from USA Gymnastics for the Junior Elite portion of the competition. Congratulations to the 2013 National Champions. 

For complete results and more information on USA Gymnastics, click here


PORTLAND, Ore., May 4, 2013 – Senior national team member Akash Modi of Morganville, N.J./Monmouth, and Marvin Kimble of Milwaukee, Wis./Swiss Turners, won the Level 10 Junior Elite all-around titles today at the 2013 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore. Modi earned a two-day total of 142.400 to take the senior title, while Kimble scored a combined total 147.150 to win the junior crown.

In the technical sequences, Modi earned an 8.550 for the floor exercise; 8.650, pommel horse; 9.100, still rings; 8.950, vault; 9.100, parallel bars; and 8.800, horizontal bar. His technical sequence all-around total was 53.150, which clinched the senior all-around title. Dmitri Belanovski of Swiss Turners and Jacob Dastrup of the U.S. Olympic Training Center, finished second and third, respectively. Modi earned a 89.250 in Thursday's optional competition. He posted his highest score of the competition, a 15.650, on the parallel bars, where he dismounted with a full-twisting double back.

Senior individual event titlists were: Chandler Eggleston of High Point, floor and vault; Dastrup, pommel horse; Belanovski, still rings; Modi, parallel bars; and Yordan Aleksandrov (unaffiliated), high bar.

In today's junior technical sequences, Kimble posted a 53.100 all-around total, with event scores of 8.800, floor; 8.450, pommel horse; 9.250, still rings; 9.050, vault; 9.150, parallel bars; and 8.400, high bar. On Thursday, Kimble posted that day's highest score in the all-around, a 94.050. He was impressive through his optional routines, executing a Liukin (full-twisting laid out Tkatchev) on the high bar and a stuck double layout dismount on floor. Yul Moldauer of 5280 Gymnastics finished second, and Hunter Justus of Cypress Academy was third.

In addition, Kimble won the individual event tiles on floor, pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars and high bar. Eric Klein of Daggett's won the vault title.

Today, the top 42 Level 10 Junior Elite athletes from Thursday's competition in each age division competed to determine the Level 10 Junior Elite Division all-around and event champions. Final placements reflect a combined score of Thursday's optional round and today's technical sequences.

Competition concludes tomorrow with the all-around and individual event finals for Levels 8 and 9 in both the Junior Olympic and Junior Elite divisions.

Earlier today, Level 10 Junior Olympic division all-around and individual event titles were decided. The all-around titlists are: Vitali Kan of Swiss Turners, 159.650, 15 years-old; Fletcher Braunton of Black Hills, 162.200, 16 years old; Travis Gollott of West Coast, 168.300, 17 years old; and Logan Melander of Black Hills, 163.700, 18 years old.

In the 15-year-old age group, individual event champions were Kan, floor exercise; Christopher Tricard of Tri Town, pommel horse; Josiah Eng of Swiss Turners, still rings; Nicholas Garcia of San Mateo, vault; Shaun Herzog of Daggett's, parallel bars; and Michael Burns of Hocking Valley, horizontal bar.

Sixteen-year-old champions were Alex Magsam of North Valley, floor and rings; Braunton, pommels; Alex Wilson of Champions-Texas, vault; Nikita Latmam of West Coast, parallel bars; and Jonathan Tang of Montgomery City, high bar.

Gollott won two event titles, floor and parallel bars. The other 17-year-old age group event champs are Andrew Klump of North Shore, pommel horse; Mitchell Soukup of Alamo Gymnastics, still rings; Anthony Mills of Michigan Academy, vault; and Aria Sabbagh of Emerald City, high bar.

Finally, in the 18-year-old age group, individual event titlists were Melander, floor and high bar; Christopher Coombs of Champions, pommel horse and rings; Jeremy Munn of NHA, vault; and Banks Hall of MAC, parallel bars.

Metro Gymnastics Center of Tigard, Ore., is the host club for the Junior Olympic Championships. The meet director is David Klein.