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Young talent includes five gymnasts at state tournament

Sophomore places in four different events and takes 12th all-around

Ella Andersen, Staff Reporter
Originally published March 16, 2017


Jay DotsonSophomore Avery Miller performs a floor routine during a meet earlier this year. Miller placed 26th on the beam at the state tournament.

Jay Dotson

Sophomore Avery Miller performs a floor routine during a meet earlier this year. Miller placed 26th on the beam at the state tournament.

Five of the top gymnasts competed at the state meet at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall in February last month.

Those who competed in state this year were freshmen Kelsey Barnes and Ava Alvord, sophomores Avery Miller and Celyn Stermer and junior Amirah Karam.

“I was disappointed that we weren’t able to [compete] as a team this year, but the whole team still came out to support us so it still felt like a team event,” Miller said.

Stermer was one of the five gymnasts that went to state this year, and placed eighth on vault, as well as tying for eighth in floor, 14th on bars and 12th for all-around.“I know this is cliché, but never give up,” Stermer said about what she’s learned from gymnastics.

Stermer has been thriving in gymnastics this season, winning vault, bars, beam and all around about six weeks ago at a meet against Ingraham and Roosevelt, leading the team to victory. She was also named SPS Student Athlete of the Week on Jan. 17.

She’s been doing gymnastics for eight years, and scored herself a spot in state for it. “[Gymnastics] is a way to conquer fears you didn’t even know you had, and you can express your personality in your floor routine,” Stermer said, on what she likes most about the sport.

The sophomore doesn’t plan on pursuing gymnastics after high school, but will still give it all she’s got while she’s here.

Freshman Ava Alvord ensured herself a spot in state for every event this year, and though she’s new to our school, she’s not new to gymnastics, having competed since she was six-years-old. “My favorite events are beam and floor,” Alvord said.

Alvord tied for 46th on bars, tied for 29th in floor, tied for 41st on vault and tied for 37th all around. She has three more seasons of gymnastics at school, so she has plenty of time to work her way up the leaderboard.

Sophomore Avery Miller tied for 26th on beam, and junior Amirah Karam tied for 35th on beam and 31st on bars.

“It was really cool [to make it to state as a sophomore] because there were a lot of people who were really high up and it just felt like a bigger event,” Miller said.

All of these gymnasts are still young and it isn’t their last season. Next season, the team looks to build upon their success this year. “I think it’s great because there’s still room to grow,” Miller said. “We just have to keep going.”

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Young talent includes five gymnasts at state tournament