The first major test of the boys’ gymnastics season arrives November 22, when Louisville’s own Champion Gymnastics hosts the annual Champion Challenge. For athletes across Kentucky and Indiana, this meet is more than an early-season checkpoint — it’s where months of preparation finally meet the competition floor, and where gymnasts begin to see how their summer upgrades stack up against their rivals.

Four Programs, One Starting Line

Boys’ teams representing Champion Gymnastics (Louisville), Legacy Gymnastics (Lexington), Indiana Gymnastics Center (Greenwood), and The Zone Athletic Center (Evansville) will go head-to-head across multiple levels. The four gyms form a competitive corridor running up and down I-65, each bringing returning talent and a slate of athletes moving into tougher divisions this year.

Champion Gymnastics, the host, enters with several top performers from last year’s meet — including Level 7 standouts who swept the top spots in 2024. Legacy brings a deep group of Level 3 and Level 4 boys who consistently finished near the top of their brackets. IGC returns with polished athletes known for clean execution and consistent all-around scores.

The Zone’s Returning Core

For The Zone, the Champion Challenge is a familiar proving ground. Several of their gymnasts delivered strong results in 2024 and now return with new difficulty and higher expectations.

Grayson Clark placed 4th at Level 7 last season with one of the highest all-around scores in the region. Brayden Berg won his 4D1 Senior bracket with a commanding score of 53.000. Jett Connelly followed closely behind with a 2nd-place finish in the same division. Cody Russ, Jd Robinson, Brantley Guisewite, and others added depth to The Zone’s lineup, all scoring well within competitive fields. Robbins Ward, who finished 7th in the Level 3D1 Junior bracket, returns after an offseason of upgrades and steady progress.

These boys — spread across multiple levels — now open their season facing deeper fields and tougher routines, a natural progression as they advance in age and skill.

Growth Across All Gyms

The narrative is similar across the other programs. Champion brings back multiple Level 7 medalists, including last year’s high scorers like Josiah Simpson and Rhys Lee. Legacy returns top-performing Level 3 and Level 4 athletes who were consistent forces last season. IGC’s roster includes several upper-level boys who impressed last year with technically strong events across pommel horse, rings, and high bar.

Across the board, this meet will feature athletes transitioning into new levels, absorbing new rules, and testing upgraded routines under real pressure — a perfect early-season environment to reveal strengths and expose what still needs work.

Why Louisville Matters

Though it’s just November, the Champion Challenge often shapes the trajectory of the season. The scores serve as a baseline; the routines show where confidence is building; and the competition — featuring some of the region’s strongest compulsory and lower-optional boys — pushes gymnasts to rise to the moment.

For The Zone, the meet provides a clear opportunity:

To see how their returning medalists adapt to tougher fields. To gauge progress among developing athletes like Robbins Ward stepping into more mature gymnastics. To set the tone for a season where steady improvement is often more important than early medals.

A Season Begins

When the boys march into the arena in Louisville, they won’t just be opening a meet — they’ll be opening their season. For many, this is their first look at what competition will demand in 2025. For others, it’s a chance to build on last year’s results and begin a push toward states, regionals, and personal milestones still months away.

For The Zone and the other programs making the trip, Louisville is not the finish line — it’s the first step. And as every coach knows, what happens at the beginning of the season can set the tone for everything that comes next.