ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Elk Grove’s Elevate Gymnastics Academy is once again sending local gymnasts to the Development Program National Championships and the Western National Championships for USA Gymnastics. 

EGA will be sending two boys to Nationals, including Jacob Miguelino and Matthew Kim, while sending seven boys and one girl to Western Nationals. The National Championships will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 8-11, while Western National Championships for the boys will take place in Reno, Nevada, this Friday to Sunday. 

Miguelino, a senior, has gone to Nationals before but it’s been a long road for him to return to the stage after battling an Achilles tear last year shortly after competing in the event. 

“It was kind of a rough journey for me; a lot of recovery,” Miguelino said. “But we were able to push through it. At the end of the season, we were trying to be in the best shape possible with coaches and staff making sure we’re in the best health to compete and at the best of our abilities.” 

Ron Howard, head coach of the boys’ team, said Miguelino has done a great job of coming back from that injury. 

“He’s put everything back together nice and clean,” Howard said. “He’s learning how to compensate for that until that leg is even stronger and he’s doing it so well and I’m loving it. I love how he’s doing his gymnastics now; much smarter.”

Nerves aren’t a problem for Miguelino who said he’s more excited than nervous heading into Nationals.  

“As of right now, I’ll do the best I can. It’s my last year. I’m going to try and pull it all out there to do my best and see where it goes from there,” Miguelino said.

Miguelino said he was split on whether he will continue with gymnastics in college, but he assured he will be attending a four-year college next fall. 

The other Nationals competitor is Kim, a sophomore from Cosumnes Oaks High School, who has qualified for Nationals before and said this is his tenth year competing in gymnastics. He said his heavy practice load – he practices six days a week – have put him in a solid position to succeed. 

“The first time I went to Nationals it was right after COVID and we didn’t have many competitions that year, so I was really nervous, but then the next time I was more comfortable,” Kim said. “I feel like I have the ability to do this stuff. I wasn’t mentally prepared for it, but now I think I’ve improved a lot.” 

From Howard’s perspective, he believes that Kim will do a great job at Nationals. 

“He really has a chance to make it,” Howard said. “I think next year he’ll be in a better place to be ready to try to qualify for the USA Championships, which would be an outstanding achievement when you’re there with the big boys.” 

Howard called the going to Western Nationals, including Martin Levine, Vince Zakar, Liam Leonard, Dominic Madeiros, Caiden Gilbrecht, Daisy Yang, Braden Mabalot and Julien Kreys, the most improved gymnasts of the year. 

“They’ve worked so hard from the deficit that they’ve come from and to qualify for Westerns is an overachievement,” Howard said. “I was so proud of them because we’re rebuilding and, in that process, you’ll have some lows and highs. They’re just having all highs, so it’s great.” 

The lone girl from that group heading to Western Nationals is Daisy Yang, a freshman at Cosumnes Oaks High School, which Howard said earned her spot due to her dedication to the work. 

Yang said her mentality heading into Western Nationals is to have fun and to meet new people as she participates in every event at the competition. 

Howard is a former California State University, Fullerton gymnast and has coached for over 35 years, according to his biography for EGA. Howard said watching young gymnasts excel at the competitions is why he coaches the sport. 

“I’m able to give back to the kids,” Howard said. “To watch them grow and get to a point where they’re ready to go to college and get scholarships just means a lot to me more than anything else.”