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Local teen takes top AAU honors
BENTON -- A Scott County teenager became a national gymnast champion earlier this month in Las Vegas.
Molly Hanners, 13-year-old daughter of Mark and Tammy Hanners of Benton, won her division of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union of the United States) Gymnastics Age Group National Championship June 10-14 in Las Vegas.
After competing in four events, Molly placed first in the vault, third place on the bars, second on the beam, fifth on the floor, and she was named the National All-Around Champion in her age division.
"At nationals, we had no idea who she was competing against," Tammy Hanners said about her daughter. "They usually give you a program with the children's ages and (ability) levels, and you know what the competition is like. We had no idea what to expect."
However, Hanners said after watching her daughter compete, she knew Molly did well.
"I knew she did phenomenal," Hanners said of her daughter's performances at nationals. "I knew she would be up in the top, but I didn't know where she would place because I had seen some pretty high scores."
Molly scored 37.2 all-around, which also means she scored over a 9 on every event.
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