Four Local Elite Gymnasts Compete in USA Gymnastics Championships

    THOUSAND OAKS, CA, May 19, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Four elite junior athletes who train at Victory Gymnastics Academy in Newbury Park recently competed in top level USA Gymnastics Championships. Two members of Victory's boys' team competed in the 2016 Men's Junior Olympic National Championships held in Battle Creek, Mich., May 4 - 8. Two members of the girls' team competed in the Women's 2016 Junior Olympic Level IX Western Championships, held Apr. 29-May 1, in Missoula, Mont. (An additional girls team member attended the competition as an alternate.)

Victory was the only gymnastics team in the tri-county region to qualify for the Level X National and Level IX Western competitions. The Academy's athletic director, Ray Jiang, a former member of the Chinese National Team, has successfully brought athletes to the USA Gymnastic National Championships 10 times.

"This amazing accomplishment is a testament to the hard work of our team, Ray's incredible expertise coaching and the dedication of our entire coaching staff," said Howard Laguna, Victory Gymnastics Academy CEO. "Together they instill a discipline and training focus that inspires our athletes to have the confidence that they can reach high and make their dreams a reality."

Christopher Osgood, a sophomore at Newbury Park High School competed in the 15-year-old Level X Junior Elite Division, placing 21st in the All Around with a two-day score of 128.05; and 13th on the high bar with a two-day total of 22.1.0. Osgood competed in a field of 105 competitors. He enrolled in Victory on the very first day the facility opened for business in 2006.

Joe Dixon, a junior at Newbury Park High School, competed in the16-year-old Level X Junior Elite Division, placing 30th in the All Around with a two-day score of 125.40; and 8th on the pommel horse with a two-day total of 22.45. He competed in a field of 104 competitors. Dixon has been on the Victory team for eight years.

The Women's Junior Olympic Level IX western championship included over 446 gymnasts from the 24 states that make up the highest national competition for USA Gymnastics Level IX gymnasts.

On the Victory team, Sara Ulias, an eighth-grade Oak Park independent studies student, had a personal best on the vault with a score of 9.275, a 9.40 on the floor, finishing in 6th place. She scored a 9.375 on the uneven bars, finishing in 7th place and placed 17th in the all-around competition.

Alyson Peragine, a sixth-grade student at Mountain Meadows Elementary in Moorpark, placed 7th on the floor event with a score of 9.35.

Amy Elsenbaumer, a sophomore at Ventura High School, accompanied the team as alternate, but did not compete.

Competing in the nationals is an especially sweet reward as Victory Gymnastics prepares to celebrate its 10-year anniversary this June. In addition to its competitive team training, Victory offers a well-equipped facility with programs, equipment, expert instruction and opportunities for kids of all ages and levels, and a variety of programs designed to develop a solid foundation to launch into other sports and, when used as cross-training, boost performance.

Victory Gymnastics Academy is located at 2330 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks. For more information, call 805-376-9059 or visit http://www.victory-gymnastics.com.

Victory Gymnastics Academy provides quality gymnastics instruction in a positive and safe atmosphere where children of all ages and abilities can enjoy gymnastics and achieve their personal best. Victory offers a 20,000 square-foot training facility and serves all communities in Ventura County and Northern Los Angeles County. Classes are taught by highly qualified and accomplished gymnastics professionals with long-term experience in technique and curriculum, both as competitors and as trainers. Visit Victory Gymnastics at http://www.victory-gymnastic.com, follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/VictoryGymnasticsAcademyNP, Twitter (https://twitter.com/VictoryGym).

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