Nastia Liukin Cup Update: Utah State Gymnast Applauds ‘Support’ System After Qualification

Selecting a gymnast for Nastia Liukin Cup participation seemed to be a mountainous affair for the Utah State Gymnastics program. The reason was a thorough turndown in the first half of February. But Utah State gymnastics was desperate enough to find its mojo in NCAA gymnastics henceforth. Eventually, in both of its last two tussles, the gymnastics squad came back heavily. Both the home and away meets witnessed a thorough depth of the squad that came in handy in critical conditions.

Nurturing this depth, the Aggies already claimed some notable accolades for their national recruiting class. That part featured again when the program introduced its latest name in the Nastia Liukin Cup-bound battle. Lundyn VanderToolen, the latest inductee, joined the Utah State Gymnastics program last November. She is yet to enter the NCAA gymnastics bound roster. So ultimately, a pre-season nomination roused enough delight in the program and the gymnast. 

Meticulous performances bring selection for the Nastia Liukin Cup  

The Nastia Liukin Cup is slated to head to Kentucky on February 25. So a week before that, the nomination news enthralled the 2018 Hopes Classic all-around third, Lundyn VanderToolen. Ultimately, the gymnast expressed her effervescence in her IG post, hailing the support she received. “I love my team. Where do you find teammates and parents that love and support you and are rooting and cheering you on this much?” she jotted down. 

Reportedly, Lundyn’s nomination came after her performance in the 51st Annual Fiesta Bowl Invitational, which happened on February 15. As per the published roster by the title host, the mentioned Invitational was qualified to claim the standard.

There, the Utah State Gymnastics-bound performer claimed a total score of 38.650, one of her best recently. Moreover, in four routines, Lundyn touched an average of 9.6 to cement her position. Nevertheless, several reasons make the athlete from Olympus Gymnastics anticipate tough competition from the Nastia Liukin Cup. 

The challenges Nastia Liukin Cup prefers to send 

Named after the phenomenal American gymnast and Olympic champion, the Nastia Liukin Cup extracts the best junior gymnasts from the nation. This year, the Kentucky International Convention Center will showcase 44 prodigies to choose the best among them. The countrywide Invitationals held the stake in choosing the participants for the ultimate feature. Meanwhile, several level-10 gymnasts found their momentum on the stage in the past.

Read more: Team USA Honors Olivia Dunne’s Olympic Aspirant Teammate Ahead of LSU vs. Auburn Meet

MacKenzie Estep and Camryn Shepherd are such two gymnasts who sneaked into the final roster last week. Now, before joining the final squad, this nomination might help Lundyn, like others, in gaining motivation for the upcoming days. 

Watch this story: Struggling With Intense Training, America’s Crush Olivia Dunne Pays the Heavy Price