Article — Kris Koederitz Melcher | Photography — Russell Walker
Like most 12- and 13-year-old girls, Julia Huebert and Erin Klaus love hanging out with their friends, shopping, and listening to Justin Bieber. But unlike most girls their age, Huebert and Erin are nationally ranked gymnasts: They are members of USA Gymnastics and in the Junior Olympic Program, which is just one level away from the World Championships and Olympics.
The Junior Olympic Program begins at Level 1 and goes through Level 10. Gymnasts who make it to Level 10 have an opportunity to compete at the Elite Level, which is the level used for World Championships and the Olympics. Both Julia and Erin train at Eagles Gymnastics and are Level 9. Additionally, both girls went to the Level 9 Western National Championships in May.
“The best thing about both of these girls is their dedication. Both of them spend 20 hours a week in the gym training and they rarely complain or miss workouts,” says Kim Fuchs, owner of Eagles Gymnastics. “Even though they may have accomplished more than some of the other gymnasts, they never act like it. They are incredibly talented and humble.”
Gymnastic levels 1-6 are Compulsory Levels, which means all of the gymnasts are judged on the same routine. Beginning with Level 7 up to the Elite Level, gymnasts perform optional routines (individual routines choreographed by their coaches) that include certain required skills. The season for Optional gymnasts begins in December with the culmination of Nationals traditionally held in May. In order to make a National Championship, a gymnast must qualify with a certain score to advance to the State Championships, then qualify to the Regional Championships (seven states make up a region), and must then be in the top seven to qualify for the National Championships.
Julia, currently a seventh-grader at Lakewood Middle School, first began taking gymnastics at a YMCA in St. Louis at age three. Her strengths are floor and beam, with beam being her favorite, an event she has won a state championship in several times.
“Julia is a little ball of fire,” says Fuchs. “She’s strong in all events and with an extremely high level on beam. Her floor routine is packed with a lot of high-level skills, some of which are usually competed at the next level up from where she is. She has wonderful dance and a great presence in competition.”
“Julia is a very hard worker,” continues Fuchs. “She sometimes is tough on herself about how fast she is learning a skill, but in the end when she learns it, hardly anyone can do it better. She is a great talent and has a wonderful personality.”
When she’s not in the gym—which is rare—Julia enjoys playing the flute and hanging out with her dogs, Niki and Miles. She’s considering a profession in dentistry some day. “I like gymnastics because it’s fun and I like to compete,” says Julia. “I have a lot of friends and we hang out and enjoy gymnastics.”
One of those friends is Erin. In addition to their friendship, passion for gymnastics, fondness for Justin Bieber, and attendance at the same school, Julia and Erin have something else in common: their mothers were classmates at St. Teresa’s Academy. Erin’s mother, Polly, also was one of the first gymnasts to train at Eagles. Erin’s introduction to gymnastics was a bit rockier.
“We came to Eagles [when Erin was four] because our next door neighbor invited us to her class on a ‘friends come free’ day,” says Polly. “Erin cried the whole time but told me she wanted to sign up. She cried at every class for the first month. After that, she loved it!”
Erin, who is in the eighth grade at Lakewood Middle School, is strongest on beam with bars a close second.
“Erin is very strong on the balance beam and uneven bars—she seems to have no fear about skills that are new to her on either event,” says Fuchs. “When she competed at the Western National Meet in May, she hit all four events with no falls or major breaks, which earned her a leotard from the region.”
Since Erin competed in all four events at the Western Nationals, she earned the “Four for Four” recognition by the region. She also placed third all-around at the Missouri State Championships and second on beam.
“The best thing about Erin is that she never gives up,” says Polly. “She has a lot of confidence and takes each hurdle one by one. She is wise beyond her years. I admire the sacrifices she has been willing to make for the sport she loves.”
Says Erin, “The best part of gymnastics for me is accomplishing goals that I never thought I could achieve, having teammates who are great friends, and learning that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.”
Aside from gymnastics, Erin loves to cook and read, is a member of St. Michael the Archangel parish, and is on the honor roll at school. She would like to own her own business some day. Both girls plan to continue gymnastics at the collegiate level and want to stay involved with the sport as long as possible.
“Julia is a beautiful gymnast with the talent to go far in gymnastics. Look for her to make a splash at the National scene very soon,” concludes Fuchs. “Erin is a fun-loving, dedicated gymnast who puts everything she has into her sport. She will go far with her determination and talent.”
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