VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Abbey Thornton competed in the Region 4 Championship this past weekend and qualified for the USAG Western Championships being held in Salt Lake City, Utah May 5th – 8th. Thornton will be the first-ever gymnast from Valley Twisters Gymnastics Club to qualify for the event. Thornton will represent Region 4 which includes athletes from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska. They will compete against other gymnasts from Regions 1, 2, and 3. These athletes will be made up of the western half of the United States.

Thornton had a strong showing at the Region 4 competition. She was the vault champion with a score of 9.3. “I knew I had a chance to win the vault but then to hear your name announced during awards is so awesome,” Thornton said.

Abbey scored an 8.6 on the floor event and an 8.75 on bars. She ended her day on the beam and nailed her routine with a score of 8.95. “Leading up to the regional meet my beam was off at practice so I was scared for it at regionals,” Thornton said.

Abbey had a score of 35.6 in the All-Around which put her in 2nd place and punched a ticket to the Western Championships. “This is a huge accomplishment for Abbey and is very exciting for all of us,” coach Johnny Tobler said. “She has been working her tail off to reach this feat that only a small percentage of competitive athletes get to. Her focus and determination are simply remarkable. The support from her parents and close friends has been amazing. It is back to the grind for the next two weeks in preparation for Westerns where I anticipate her reaching new heights once again.”

“We want to wish Abbey Thornton the best of luck at the Western Championship and we will have results when she returns,” Thornton said. Thornton will head out to Salt Lake City May 5th-8th to practice and then compete on May 8th starting at 2:35 PM.