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Sacramento State Gymnast First From School To Compete In Nationals

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A Sacramento State gymnast is vaulting her way into the history books as she's the first from the school to compete in the NCAA gymnastics nationals.

For Junior Kalliah McCartney, 21, her tough training is paying off.

"I was almost speechless when I found out I made it to nationals," she said.

It's a feat no other Sac State gymnast has ever accomplished.

"She made history," said head gymnastics coach Kim Hughes. "This is our first NCAA gymnast to make it to Division 1 nationals."

She's on her way to Birmingham, Ala., where she will compete against the best college gymnasts in four events: the beam, bars, floor, and her specialty, the vault. That's her highest scoring event and the one she won in conference championships.

She's soaring to new heights while still balancing her regular classwork.

"I'm double majoring actually in accounting and international business," she said.

She's hoping to pave the way for even more success in the future.

"I'm just excited to show that Sac State has some quality gymnastics and that we're rising," she said.

The national championship begins on April 18 and she's hoping to advance to the finals in all four of her events.

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