The Paris News

Savana Sparks competed on the gymnastics national stage for the first time, but she was determined not to let nerves get the best of her.

The 11-year-old exceeded expectations and came away with a finish that was better than she had anticipated.

Sparks claimed a fourth-place finish in the vault portion of the competition and a tenth-place all-around finish in Saturday’s U.S. Challenge, which was a national competition that pitted her against 22 other girls in the 10 to 12-year-old age group. The Challenge was held in Des Moines, Iowa.

“It was better than what we could have expected,” said Kim Hevron, who trains Sparks at Gymnastics Power House. “It’s a really big deal for us.”

Sparks earned a medal for her fourth-place in the vault competition, and she almost earned another medal by taking seventh place on the uneven bars.

The primary goal of the challenge was for Sparks to be noticed by members of the U.S. national selection team.

More finishes like the one she had at the Challenge could possibly give her an opportunity to compete for a spot on the national team.

Hevron said that’s the goal for the immediate future.

“We’re still training,” she said. “We’re just hoping she can get involved in a training camp. The main thing is to make sure she is seen. Then, we will start the competition up again next season.”

The training will include honing of the skills she already possesses, as well as learning new skills.

“The main thing is to develop her skills and her difficulty level and for her to get as many skills under her belt as she can,” Hevron said.

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