11 juniors to watch for in 2016

With so much young talent rising in the USA every year, the next quadrennium could easily be one of the bests yet! We take a look at some juniors athletes who names you may want to remember!


1. Katelyn Ohashi

(Photo Credit: USA Gymnastics)

This tiny 14 year old has already put her name on the gymnastics radar! She has accomplished many things at such a young age, including her win at the 2011 Junior National Championships last August. It's a shame she won't turn senior until 2013! She has all the big tricks, including a back handspring, back handspring, full twist on beam where she has an incredible 17.0 start value (which tops World Champion Sui Lu by four tenths of a point!) Katelyn is truly an All Around gymnast and she exudes confidence in every meet she competes in.  Katelyn will certainly be one to watch in the upcoming years!

2. Lexie Priessman

(Photo Credit: USA Gymnastics)

Lexie Priessman is another name you may want to familiarize yourself with. She is 15 years old and full of power. She is one of the few junior gymnasts that competes an amanar on vault. She also has some big tumbling passes on floor including a double double and a tucked full in. Lexie is another one of those girls we won't see on the senior stage until 2013, but she has already started to make a name for herself by placing 1st at the 2010 Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup and 4th All Around at the 2011 Junior National Championships!

3. Madison Kocian

(Photo Credit: RWS Photography)

Madison decided to take a break from elite gymnastics in early 2011, but she is back in the game recently placing 2nd All Around at the 2012 WOGA Classic. She is great on all 4 events but truly shines on beam and bars where she has a 16.0 start value. She trains at WOGA Gymnastics where the past 2 Olympic Champions have trained, perhaps Madison will have a similar future? 

4. Amelia Hundley

(Photo Credit: USA Gymnastics)

Amelia is one of those girls that when you watch her, you can't help but love her! She has lots of energy and a great smile. Not to mention she's a great dancer and really gets into her choreography which is not something we usually see in elite gymnastics. Amelia placed 2nd All Around at the 2011 Supergirl Cup and took 5th All Around at the junior national championships and qualified to the 2011-2012 Junior National Team. She has been upgrading tremendously through out the years and will defiantly be a contender in the future.  

5. Lizzy Leduc

(Photo Credit: Heather Maynez)

Many of us have watched Lizzy progress over the years on her parent's youtube channel.  It's hard to believe she has already come this far! Lizzy is known for her adorable smile and friendly personality, but she is also a star on the gymnastics scene. Beam is her best event where she can score up to a 16.3. With a few upgrades, Lizzy can easily make herself apart of the future of USA Gymnastics! 

6. Polina Shchennikova

(Photo Credit: Polina Shchennikova) 

Polina is like Nastia's mini me! Both blonde, graceful, photogenic, born in Russia, and coached by a parent. Not to mention, Polina placed 2nd all around at the 2012 Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup. She has improved a lot from last year and is proving herself to be a contender for the future. 

7. Simone Biles 

(Photo Credit: USA Gymnastics)

Simone may be tiny but she is a powerhouse! She currently has a 15.8 start value on beam and a 15.4 on floor, but is continuing to improve. She recently started competing an amanar on vault and many people think she is capable of a triple twisting yurchenko. Only time can tell! 

8. Nica Hults

(Photo Credit: Scott Hults) 

Nica is another one of those girls that grabbed everyones attention as we watched her training progress over the years on her parent's youtube channel. Beam is her best event, where she has a 15.9 start value. She won the beam title at the 2011 Covergirl Classic and placed 5th on beam at the Visa Championships. She only turned elite last year, but she is proving to be a key player for the future.

9. Bailie Key

(Photo Credit: USA Gymnastics)

Bailie became a favorite this year after her performance at the Visa Championships where she placed 9th All Around and made the Junior US National Team.  Although she may not have all the difficulty yet, remember she is only 12 years old! (Will be 13 on March 16th!) Bailie trains with many other talented young gymnasts at Texas Dreams under Kim Zmeskal Burdette.

10. Madison Desch

(Photo Credit: Chalk Bowl)

Maddie caught our eye at the 2010 Covergirl Classic. She is tiny, graceful, and has been improving tremendously in the past year. She placed 5th on Floor at the 2011 VISA Championships and qualified onto the National Team. Maddie trains at GAGE with coach Al Fong and rest assured he is working with her on upgrading her routines! Only time will tell how far she will go!

11. Nia Dennis 

(Photo Credit: Greg Long)

Nia really caught our attention at the 2012 Nastia Liukin Cup! She has amazing lines, lots of power, and overall she is a super clean gymnast. She placed 5th all around at the Nastia Cup and won the all around title plus every event final at the Buckeye Classic. (The meet that qualified her to the Nastia Cup) Nia is a great bar worker, although she is truly an all around gymnast!