By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Aurora High School gymnast Hannah Salgado’s decorated career reached its pinnacle on Sunday.

Salgado, a senior, won the state championship in the beam event. Her score of 9.725 not only bested the field for this year’s competition, but it bested the all-time field at the event, setting a new state-championships record.

She is also the program’s first-ever state champion.

Salgado’s routine included a series of challenging jumps before a dismount that included a back handspring into an aerial twist that she landed cleanly.

The previous state record was established by Julie Devaty in 1998. The Magnificat state champion had a score of 9.675.

On Sunday, at the competition hosted at Hilliard Bradley High School, Salgado bested Olentangy Berlin’s Tayten Swain, whose score of 9.675 would have tied the previous state record. In third place was Greenville Gymnastics’ Reese Genet with a score of 9.575.

Aurora gymnastics head coach Gina Gastaldo, has the third-highest beam score at the state championships, when she scored a 9.650 in 2005.

“Hannah has the whole package,” Gastaldo said in an Athlete of the Week story that was published on Portage Sports earlier this season. “Respectfulness, willingness to learn, incredibly athletic, humble and is a team player all rolled into one.”

Salgado had qualified for the state championships in the all-around and placed third overall with a score of 38.025. The all-around state champion was Tessa Brousek of Padua Franciscan with a score of 38.450. Second place was Swain at 38.350.

In her other events, Salgado placed third (9.375 score) with her floor routine, fifth on the vault (9.675) and scored a 9.225 on the uneven parallel bars.

Last year, as a junior, Salgado placed fourth overall in the beam and fourth overall in the all-around.