You may not have heard about them, but once you see them, you'll never forget them.

They are small, powerful, tough, talented and determined. They can do an average of 34 push-ups in 30 seconds, flip (and land) on a four-inch wide surface and explain how to transfer horizontal speed into height.

Did I mention that they are all under 10 years old?

They are the competitive team at Burbank's Golden State Gymnastics and they just proved exactly how strong they are at the 2007 State Championships in San Diego.

Most impressive was the claiming of two state championship titles by Golden State gymnasts . Emma O'Mara, 7, of Burbank won the state floor exercise title with a score of 9.35. One day earlier, her teammate Kayla Anderson, 8, won the balance beam title with a score of 9.425.

Additionally, two Golden State gymnasts qualified to compete in the Platinum division of the state championships. This division is reserved for those gymnasts whose all-around scores are at the top escalante in the state - only 44 of the 621 gymnasts qualify to the Platinum division.

Both Rose Quezada, 9, and Allyson Jessen, 10, of Burbank, competed in this division as some of the very few first season level 4's. Quezada, who scored a record-setting 38.225 in the qualifying competition, finished fourth overall with a huge score of 37.7. Jessen, with a 36.575 all-around, scored season highs on both floor exercise and balance beam.

Other notables:

Every single gymnast on Golden State's six-member team placed in the top 10 all-around.

Emma Bailey, 8, of Burbank, scored an incredible season high of 36.675 all-around (fifth place). She is the state's runner-up on vault with a score of 9.325 and the third place balance beam finisher with a 9.2

Isis Glaude, 8, of Burbank earned career-high scores in the all-around with a 36.575, on floor exercise with a 9.3, and on uneven bars with a 9.025.

The gymnasts, coached by Nicole Langevin and Whitney Nevill, train between 12-20 hours per week and travel all over California and the country to compete.

"There is no off-season in gymnastics; these girls keep up this training schedule all year long," says head coach Langevin.

And what does this training entail? A typical practice includes an hour of conditioning pliometrics, cardio, weight and resistance training, about 30 minutes of flexibility, basics, and 40-50 minutes of event training on each of the four events (vault, bars beam and floor) . Oh yeah, and let's not forget the twohours of dance per week and monthly in-house "mock meets."

If you're wondering what "basics" entails, Langevin explains that "each gymnast is expected to be able to hold a 90-second handstand on the balance beam, climb an 18-foot-long rope without using their legs, walk on their hands across the length of the 42-foot. floor mat , perform three to five back handsprings in a row and cast to a handstand on the bar."

Boasting two more state floor champions in the past two seasons ( Lily Pollack, Level 7 and Jordan Goldberg, Level 9), Golden State Gymnastics is a non-profit facility convenient to the Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena communities.

They have been helping athletes achieve excellence in both recreational and competitive gymnastics since 1973.

To learn more about Golden State Gymnastics, visit www.goldenstategym.com