MISSOULA — Helena native Reese Esponda has been selected to represent the United States at the 2026 Artistic World Championships in the Netherlands, USA Gymnastics announced Thursday.
Esponda qualified for the five-gymnast roster during a two-day selection camp to join automatic qualifiers Claire Pease and Charleigh Bullock. Skye Blakely and Hezly Rivera qualified alongside Esponda, who will be making her World Championships debut when the Artistic World Championships are contested Oct. 17-25 in Rotterdam.
"I'm really proud of myself, just all the hard work I've been putting in," Esponda told reporters after the selection camp.
"Just competing for the team, with the team," she said of what she would be most excited about before she knew she was selected for the Team USA roster. "I love Charleigh and Claire, so that would be really fun with them."
Esponda, 17, is currently a senior in high school in Shenandoah, Texas, and has committed to compete in college at LSU. She was born in Helena, moved to Missoula in 2020 and relocated to Texas in 2024.
After making the U.S. Junior National Team in 2023, Esponda's star has continued to rise. This year, she placed second in the floor exercise at the Winter Cup in February, helped Team USA win the Jesolo Trophy in March, claimed the individual all-around title at the U.S. Classic in July and won the floor exercise and finished fourth in the all-around at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in August.
Following the U.S. Championships, she was named to the 2026-27 Senior National Team.
Related: Learning alongside world's best has Montana gymnast Reese Esponda ready to fly
The Artistic World Championships are the first major team competition since the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the first Olympic berths for LA 2028 will be awarded to the medalists in both the men's and women's team competitions.
The Artistic World Championships begin Oct. 17 with qualification rounds. The team finals take place Oct. 20 (men) and Oct. 21 (women), followed by the all-around finals on Oct. 22 and 23. The Championships conclude with two days of apparatus finals on Oct. 24 and 25.
