Max DeFrees of Vancouver won a floor exercise national championship at the USA Gymnastics Men’s Junior Olympics National Championships, which concluded on May 10 in Long Beach, Calif.
Competing for Tualatin, Ore.-based Metro Gymnastics, DeFrees scored 14.8 on the first day and a 13.9 in the finals to win the gold medal for 17-year-old boys competing at Level 10.
A senior at Seton Catholic High School, DeFrees in April won the Oregon all-around state championship. He then qualified for his fourth trip to nationals during a regional meet.
DeFrees started competing at age 8 at Naydenov Gymnastics in Vancouver. After coach Lubo Ivanho retired, DeFrees joined Black Hills Gymnastics, commuting to Olympia to train. After four years with Black Hills, he switched to Metro this season.
DeFrees plans to attend Arizona State and compete for the Sun Devils non-varsity men’s gymnastics team.
