Joshua Yee, a 15-year-old gymnast from Hawaiian Island Twisters Gym, captured third place in the high bar at the 2010 Men's Junior Olympic National Championship in Knoxville, Tenn., last week.

Yee, competing in a field of 198 competitors in the 14- to 15-year-old age group, took 22nd place in the all-around, missing a spot at the U.S. Visa Championships by one place.

It is believed to be the highest achievement by any male Hawai'i gymnast.

Yee, a sophomore at Myron B. Thompson Academy and lives in Mililani, finished 11th in the parallel bars, 17th on the rings, 23rd on the vault, 31st on the pommel horse and 29th on the floor.

Gymnasts advanced to the event by qualifying through state and regional championships.

The National Championship involves three days of competition in which gymnasts must earn top placements to advance to the next day.

9 HAWAI'I FEMALES PLACE AT NATIONALS

Allison Bushman, 13, was the highest finisher among nine Hawai'i female Level 10 gymnasts who competed against 460 of the nation's best in the 2010 Women's Junior Olympic National Championships held May 7-8 in Dallas.

The gymnasts qualified to the nationals by advancing through state and regional championships.

Here are the highlights:

Junior A Division. Allison Bushman received the 10th highest vault score (13th place; 9.475) for her Yurchenko Arabian Layout and 38th place on the Uneven Bar. Bushman competes for Hawaiian Island Twisters Gym and is a home-schooled eighth-grader.

Junior C Division. Hawaiian Island Twisters gymnast Tamara Rapp took 22nd on the bars and tied for 32nd on the vault. Rapp also took 44th for her all-around score. Rapp, 15, is a Moanalua High School sophomore.

Senior B Division. Hawaiian Island Twisters gymnast Carson Tabiolo, a Moanalua High junior, earned 30th on the Uneven Bar.

Senior D Division. 'Iolani senior Mackenzie Sato (Hawaiian Island Twisters) took 39th on the beam. She will be competing for Cornell University in the fall. Punahou senior Keolamau Yee (Kokokahi) tied for 36th on the floor. She will be competing for the University of Pennsylvania.