LAunCH

S A rie Morri S on scored an unprecedented six gold medals at this year’s state gymnastics meet, leading the LHHS varsity gymnastics team to victory. w hen we caught up with the 2010 grad (which, with her schedule, isn’t easy to do) she talked about what it takes to be a young elite athlete, her plans for the future, and the people who keep her going.

How did you get started as a gymnast?

My parents put me in classes when I was 3 years old because I was hyper, and they thought it would be a good idea. I liked it so much that a couple years later, when I was just 5 or 6, I joined a team and started taking it seriously. I started practicing more and really just fell in love with the sport. As a kid it was my favorite thing to do.

What about when you got older?

I actually quit before my sophomore year. It stopped being fun. I was training with an elite team and going to Spring Creek Academy, a school for kids who spend more than 30 hours a week practicing a sport. I got burned out. Tired. I wanted to be a normal kid.

So how did you return to the sport?

I started school at LHHS my sophomore year, and I ran into Addi [Ledford], the school gymnastics coach, who asked me if I’d like to join the team. I knew Hannah [Van Meter] from my earlier years of gymnastics, and Hannah was on the team, so I figured it might be fun. When I started practicing with them, I fell in love with it again. Then I got back into club gymnastics, too. I re-focused on my goals, such as going to college and getting a scholarship. I started sending letters out to colleges my sophomore year.