USA Gymnastics has announced it is hosting a brand new national competition meet, the 2011 USA Gymnastics Open Championships, for women’s Level 4 to Level 8 and Prep-Op. The competition will crown both individual and club team champions and will determine an overall USA Gymnastics 2011 Club Team Champion.

The meet will be held at the HP Fieldhouse in ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on June 2-5, 2011. Both a women’s artistic National Elite Qualifier and a Rhythmic Championship will also be held together with this event.

Online registration is available at the USA Gymnastics Registration web site page.

Individual All-Around awards will be given for each age group in each session. Four age group divisions will vary depending on the ages of registered athletes.

The Club Team Championship scores will be be compiled by adding the top three scores from each team in each event.   Three club team champions will be crowned in each of the four sessions. The top three overall club team champions will be named at the end of the meet.

The entry fees for Level 4 to Level 8 gymnasts in the Artistic meet are $75 per gymnast and $15 per team.  Entry fees are $50.00 for each gymnast in the Prep-Op competition and a $30 team entry fee.  The deadline for entries is April 1, 2011.

For more information, go to the meet information page.

It seems that the desire for a putting on a lucrative meet has overcome former policies of not putting young, lower level gymnasts into high pressure national competition situations.  While meets like this are neither truly national meets nor the format indicative of a real team champion or championship, there is no doubt the bragging rights or rites start this year.