Pine Township’s Komoroski excels at national competition

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, May 18, 2018 | 11:00 PM

Pine Township resident Maddie Komoroski put together an impressive showing at the 2018 Level 9 Eastern National Gymnastics Championships on May 6, grabbing second-place honors in the floor exercise and taking eighth on balance beam. The performance was good enough for the eighth-grade student to finish ninth all-around against 24 of the nation's most accomplished young gymnasts.

For Komoroski, the notable finish was perfectly in line with her expectations heading into the event, particularly in the two events she sees as her strongest.

“I thought that I did very well. I think I could have done a couple of things a little bit better, but I was happy with my overall performance. I just wanted to hit all of my routines and make them as perfect and flawless as I could,” Komoroski said.

“I definitely think that floor and beam are my two stronger events. I've just been working on making all of my events stronger so I would be well prepared for the national championships.”

The championship, which took place in Rochester, N.Y., was composed of gymnasts who were required to place in the top seven at their regional championships to qualify.

With her top-10 finish at nationals, Komoroski capped a prosperous competitive season that also saw the 13-year-old capture first place in the balance beam and floor events, in addition to a second-place finish in the all-around at the regional championships last month.

While Komoroski's natural abilities as a gymnast have helped her in attaining her accomplishments this season, her accolades also reflect a culmination of her other skills as an athlete. Lainy Carslaw, who coaches the eighth-grader out of Jewart Gymnastics, said it's her mental capabilities that set her apart.

“She is the most driven and focused gymnast that I've ever coached. She's very detail-oriented. She just wants to come as close to perfection as she can,” Carslaw said.

“She has a lot of physical talent, but it's her presence of mind and her mental toughness that make her such a good competitor.”

Kevin Lohman is a freelance writer.