In early 2001, approximately 100 gymnasts gathered in Jacksonville for the first Sweetheart Invitational. It took just a few years to outgrow the in-house format... and morph into The Emerald Classic! Over two decades later, we have grown into one of the largest meets in Arkansas hosting over 11,000 gymnasts from eight different states.

In 2026, we hosted 1200 gymnasts from 

Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee

in two concurrent gyms of competition.

The Emerald Classic welcomes USA Gymnastics athletes 

Levels 1-10, XCEL Bronze-Sapphire, and HUGS