Will Nuelle
Latin now has a National Champion in Gymnastics. Junior Liv Karas placed 1st in the Senior A division at the 2014 Junior Olympic Nationals in Jackson, Mississippi. Her 9.925 Vault score and 9.650 Bar score, both the highest in the competition, catapulted her to victory against a tough field. She placed 6th in the floor routine with a 9.425 and 10th on the Beam with a 9.400 for a total score of 38.400, beating the next closest competitor by .175 points. This was her first season back from a major injury and had this to say, “I was expecting to have fun and do the best I can! Wasn’t expecting to win at all.” Well, Liv came out on top on May 11th and she can now be considered top dog. She continued, “It’s very surreal. I can’t believe it happened.” One of the highlights of Liv’s routine was sticking her stellar Vault, something that played a role in her victory in the competition. She said that going out of bounds in her floor routine was the worst part of the competition for her, but she was able to capture the victory even with the small mishap.
Liv plans to continue to work in the gym this summer to get ready for next year and hopes to be back at Nationals. She is still eligible for the same division next year and should be considered a favorite next year. Liv will continue her career after that at the University of Michigan, where she has committed for gymnastics.
Watch Liv’s vault and reaction below:
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