MISSOULA — Reese Esponda, a 14-year-old gymnast from Missoula, has earned a spot on USA Gymnastics' Junior National Team.
Esponda won gold in floor exercises last weekend at the 2023 Xfinity championships in San Jose, Calif. She also placed sixth on the uneven bars and sixth in the two-day all-around competition. The performances earned her one of six spots on the junior team, according to a press release.
The press release also stated that Esponda is the first gymnast from Montana to make the national team since 1979. Esponda is next scheduled to attend national team camps in Katy, Texas.
Esponda trains at Roots Gymnastics and Dance in Missoula, where she is coached by brothers Chris and Brandon Bushard. She has won several state and regional championships as a Level 10 gymnast, the press release stated. She qualified for the US gymnastics championships as a Junior Elite by achieving a qualifying score at the American Classic in July.
