By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Senior Hannah Salgado took the Aurora High School gymnastics program back to where it had not been in 18 years: The state championships.

Aurora senior Hannah Salgado placed fourth in both the beam and all-around at last weekend’s state championships.
Special to Portage Sports

Salgado qualified for the state competition out of the Northeast District hosted at Hudson High School to become the first Greenmen gymnast to accomplish the feat since Jennifer Kingure, who graduated in the Class of 2005.

Salgado advanced to the state meet in both the beam and in the all-around — before ultimately placing fourth overall in both events.

“Hannah is the whole package,” Aurora gymnastics head coach Gina Gastaldo said. “She is an an outstanding student-athlete, team player, dedicated, motivated and humble.”

It is no wonder she qualified for the state championships in the “all-around.”

“(Those characteristics) are what made her so successful this season,” Gastaldo said. “I couldn’t be happier for her and can’t wait for what’s still to come for her.”

On the state’s biggest stage, Salgado scored a 9.475 on the beam and a 37.525 in the all-around competition.

Both scores hit higher than her outputs at the district meet, which included a 17th-place finish on the beam with a 9.05 score and a seventh-place spot in the all-around with a score of 36.8.

Salgado’s other scores at the district level included: 8.975 on the floor (20th place), 9.175 on the bars (6th) and 9.6 on the vault (6th).

While Salgado successfully internalized her nerves and anxiety, Gastaldo was feeling them, too.

“Having been a successful state competitor myself, it gave me such joy — and quite a bit of butterflies — to watch her out there,” said Gastaldo, who is a three-time state champion in the beam (2003-06) and was a state AA runner-up in 2004 and 2006. “It brings back all the memories every time. Hannah has what it takes and she only gets better every year.”