West York’s Lia Breeden wins NIT gymnastic competition

Lia Breeden, a sophomore at West York, made a major splash last weekend at the National Invitational Tournament gymnastics competition held in Hampton, Va. Breeden finished first in the all-around at the event, which held in conjunction with the Junior Olympic Championships.

Breeden scored a 37.6 in the all-around to best 191 gymnasts from across the country, and also earned a gold medal in the floor exercise with a score of 9.65. She placed fourth in the vault with a 9.4.

Breeden, a Level 10 gymnast, trains at Artistic Sports Academy Plus in Harrisburg.

One of Breeden’s teammates, Alexis Mattern of Susquehanna Township, finished fourth in the all-around at the Junior Olympic Championships. That was good enough to earn Mattern a spot on the Junior Olympic National Team.