CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Junior Olympic National qualifier Alexandria "Lexi" Powe has signed a national letter of intent and will enroll at Illinois in Fall 2019, Fighting Illini women's gymnastics head coach Nadalie Walsh announced on Tuesday afternoon.

"Lexi (Powe) is a great find for our program particularly on vault, where she has a 10.0 start value with a good 1.5 (Yurchenko)," said Walsh. "She is a really confident gymnast with untapped potential on every event. I think she will make an immediate impact for our team."

Powe arrives in Champaign from Aurora, Colo. and trained at Colorado Gymnastics Institute (CGI) under coaches Vinicio Liera, Sonia Liera, Lindy Franzini, Kristin Teubner, Maggie Laughlin, and Maki Fairbanks. She competed three-times at the Region 3 Level 10 Regionals, including finishing first on the vault and second in the all-around to qualify to the 2017 Junior Olympic National Championship. This year, Powe finished fifth on vault at the Region 3 Level 10 Regionals and was second on vault and bars at the prestigious California Grand Invitational in Anaheim, Calif.

"There are many reasons why I chose University of Illinois," said Powe. "The staff at Illinois made it very clear that they care about their students-athletes. The team really was one of the biggest factors of my choice.  Illinois has a strong team that is nationally recognized as a top gymnastics program. The gymnasts were welcoming and a fun group of girls that I know I want to spend the next four years with both as friends and teammates. After visiting Illinois, I knew it was the place for me."

WATCH: Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor

A senior at Cherokee Trail High School, Powe has been on the Principal's Honor Roll for the past three years (2015-18) and earned an academic letter on May 2018. A passion for business, Powe was a member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), where she was the 2018 FBLA District 5 E-business winner and fifth place in E-business at the 2018 FBLA State Qualifier. The Aurora, Colo. native is the daughter of Darrell Powe and Joni Johnson-Powe.

"Illinois stresses the importance of academics not just athletics," noted Powe. I knew I wanted to go to a school that would push me to be the best I can be. The school offers one of the top accounting programs in the country, which is exciting as I pursue my goal of being a successful accountant."

"She is very focused academically and fits our culture with our team chemistry and championship minded approach from gymnastics to academics," noted Walsh. "It struck me right away on how appreciative and grateful she is for every opportunity. I think when you bring in a student-athlete with a heart of gratitude, it will make everyone better."

Illinois returns to Huff Hall for a quad meet with No. 7 Kentucky, Oregon State, and Lindenwood on Jan. 13 at 2 p.m. CT.

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