J&J athlete named to USA Gymnastics Elite Development Team

By Megan Gearhart
J&J TUMBLING AND TRAMPOLINE
Sarah Thompson, 15, of Davis, attended and was named to the 2019 Elite Development Team. The USA Gymnastics Trampoline and Tumbling Elite Development Program (EDP) camp was held at the Fon du Lac Park District’s Tumbling/Cheer Gym Complex in Peoria, Illinois. Seventy-five gymnasts from across the United States participated in the EDP camp that included training and educational sessions.
Athletes were selected to attend the camp based on performances at the 2018 Winter Classic, Elite Challenge and USA Gymnastics Championships. Sarah Thompson, a member of J&J’s Tumbling and Trampoline team who is coached by Megan Gearhart, was invited and named to the 2019 Elite Development Team. Sarah has moved up to the Junior Elite Level of competition for athletes ages 15-16. The Junior level of competition is the second highest nationally for the sport.
While at the camp, Sarah participated in two-a-day training sessions under the direction of the national coaching staff. Coach and athlete education was also a key focus of EDP camp, with national coaches leading sessions on competition analysis, progressions, and difficulty for international success. Sarah has the goal being named this year to the Junior National Team as well as to qualify for the World Age Group Championships to be held this December in Tokyo, Japan at the site of the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics.