Future Gymnast Wins National Championship
May 13, 2013
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Oregon State gymnastics recruit Kaytianna McMillan won the Level 10 Junior Olympic national championship title in the all-around in the Senior D division Saturday. McMillan also tied for the national titles on the balance beam.
McMillan, who signed a National Letters of Intent to join the Beavers’ gymnastics program in the fall, finished in the top four on three events, recording an all-around score of 38.500 to win the title. The Eugene, Ore. native, who trains at the National Academy of Artistic Gymnastics, added a gold medal finish on beam with a score of 9.50 and claimed silver on the vault with a 9.850. She added a score of 9.70 on the floor exercise to finish fourth and scored 9.450 on the uneven bars to finish 14th.
“We’re very excited for Kaytianna,” head coach Tanya Chaplin said. “Her talent was evident from the day we began recruiting her and we’re thrilled that she was able to put it all together on this type of stage. We are looking forward to Kaytianna and the rest of our recruiting class to come in and compete at a high level next season. I believe her performance is a fantastic indicator of what’s to come in 2014 for Oregon State Gymnastics.”
McMillian is the first Junior Olympic national champion to join the Oregon State gymnastics program since graduating senior Makayla Stambaugh won the all-around and tied for top honors on bars and beam in 2009.
McMillan is a key member of OSU’s five gymnast recruiting class that will arrive on campus in July. Among those joining her with the Orange and Black in 2013-14 are Maddie Gardiner, who was the 2011 Canadian National Champion, and Taylor Ricci, both of whom will compete at the Canadian National Championships next week in Ottawa, Ontario.
Oregon State finished the season ranked 16th in the nation and loses four seniors and nine routines including a pair of All-Americans in Stambaugh and Brittany Harris and junior-to-be Kelsi Blalock back in the fold pending approval of a medical hardship waiver.
