University Park fourth grader Victoria Thornton qualified to compete at the Youth Nationals Olympic Weightlifting Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 28. She was the youngest competitor in her U11/U13 35kg weight class.

She snatched 18kg (39.6 pounds) and clean and jerked 25kg (55 pounds) for a total of 43kg (94.7 pounds).

While not quite enough for a trip to the podium, she had a blast and made new friends from across the country.  She is eagerly training for her next competition.