YMCA Gymnasts at National Championship

NORTH CAROLINA – June 30, 2026 – Gymnasts from the YMCA of San Diego County are competing on the national stage this week, representing their local branches at one of the biggest YMCA gymnastics events of the year.

Sixty-eight gymnasts and seven staff members from the Rancho Family YMCA, Cameron Family YMCA and Toby Wells YMCA are traveling to Greensboro, North Carolina, to compete in the 2026 YMCA National Gymnastics Championships, held June 26 through July 2.

“This is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the hard work, dedication and perseverance our athletes have demonstrated throughout the season,” said Blaze Zarev, executive director of Rancho Family YMCA. “Reaching the national stage is something to be proud of, and we know each gymnast will represent our YMCA communities with excellence, sportsmanship and pride.”

For local athletes including Ashlyn Miller and Lily Kriegshauser, teammates in the Rancho YMCA gymnastics program who also attend Escondido Charter High School, the trip marks the culmination of a season filled with long practices, new skills, teamwork and steady progress. Miller, 15, is entering 11th grade, while Kriegshauser, 16, is entering 10th grade. The two learned before school ended that they had qualified for nationals.

“We are going to North Carolina for a gymnastics competition called Nationals, and it is the biggest competition of the year,” Miller said. “Everybody in the nation comes together to compete.”

Gymnasts will compete in vault, bars, beam and floor. For Kriegshauser, floor is the favorite.

“It really allows you to show off your skills and the work that you put in throughout the year,” Kriegshauser said. “My favorite part is the support from my coaches and teammates.”

At Cameron Family YMCA in Santee, coaches Mindy Lacy and Jaime Massaro know exactly what their gymnasts are about to experience. Both competed at YMCA Nationals when they were young YMCA gymnasts. Massaro competed in four YMCA National Gymnastics Championships.

“It’s such a great team bonding experience,” Massaro said. “You get to have an experience of living on your own, having so much fun with your teammates and meeting a bunch of new people from all over the USA.”

Lacy said the trip is about much more than competition. Athletes will fly across the country, stay with teammates, take part in opening ceremonies and share moments that become part of their YMCA gymnastics journey.

“It’s such a fun team bonding experience,” Lacy said. “It’s so much more than just the competition. Our seniors have a reception where they get to be recognized, and then we have opening ceremonies. California always gets to walk out first, so that’s always fun.”

For coaches who once stood in the same place as their athletes, Nationals represents a full-circle moment and a chance to help the next generation make memories of their own.

“It’s just such an overall amazing experience and lifelong memories that they’ll never forget,” Lacy said.

For the Y the trip reflects what positive youth development can make possible: confidence, connection and the chance for young athletes to see how far their hard work can take them. For more information about gymnastics at the YMCA, visit our gymnastics section here.