Rowland, ranked first in the Northeast region at Level 9, competed against all other Level 9 competitors as well as Level 10 and the Elite division, which is one step short of the Olympics.

"The competition level was unbelievable," said Rowland's coach, Dick Miller. "But Amie more than held her own and did very, very well."

The meet began on Friday with three sessions and the top 60 competitors advancing to the championship division on Saturday, which Rowland did. The top 60 then competed on Saturday, with the scores from the second day added to the scores from the first day to determine standings.

"Amie was very consistent both days, which is the key in a meet that is scored like that," Miller said. "She scored a 9 on the beam both days which was her highest score in any event, but she had solid scores in every event."

"If Amie had been competing only against other Level 9 competitors, I think she would have been in the top three," said Amie's mother, Susan Rowland.

Rowland was undaunted by the level of competition at the national meet.

"She's already talking about going back next year and doing better, and she looked at some of the vaults other elite competitors were doing and said 'I can do that.' She'll make it happen, that's her personality."

Rowland began doing gymnastics in 1996 after watching the womenFs gymnastics team win a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, and has steadily risen up the junior national rankings over the past six years.