Vaulting, riding passions drive St. Francis gymnast

St. Francis gymnast Autumn Lefever shares a passion for two sports. When she is not doing acrobatic jumps off a springboard or somersaults on a balance beam, she enjoys saddling one of her three horses and competing in Western Saddle Clubs Association and 4-H events.

Lefever, a junior, went to state last year individually for vault. In the offseason, she spent 20 hours per week on workouts and conditioning, she said.

As a St. Francis captain, she hopes to get back to state again in 2012 as an all-around gymnast and with her team.

Q What sports do you play?

A Track and gymnastics.

Q What is your most memorable moment in gymnastics?

A Going to state last year, it was the biggest thing that ever happened to me.

A It was a lot bigger than all the meets we do as a team. There was a lot more people and pressure. I was more excited [for state].

Q How did you do at state?

A I got my season high [for vault] because I got a 9.25. But it wasn't anything compared to the person who won vault. I was really excited about it because I figured I was only a sophomore last year, and most people that were doing really good were all seniors. It was more of an experience and learning kind of thing.

Q What is your favorite event in gymnastics?

A The floor is my favorite because I feel like you can express yourself most on it.

A The bars are most challenging. It's so different than other events. You're moving around, holding on with just your hands, so it's a lot different because you don't have your feet.

Q Three words your teammates would use to describe you?

A Confident, supportive and hard-working.

Q How old were you when you first started gymnastics?

A Two years old. Technically, I was in a gym a week after I was born. So I got started early.

A I got started riding when I was really young because of my mom. My mom has a horse business. She boards horses and she gives riding lessons. Gymnastics and horses are pretty much my life.

Q Who is your favorite athlete, and why?

A Nastia Liukin, an Olympic gymnast in the 2008 Olympics. My style is most like hers.

Q Do you plan on continuing gymnastics past high school?

A As of right now, I'm hoping to go to [the University of Wisconsin] La Crosse to do gymnastics and to study medicine.

A I play the piano, that's about it. I've been playing since I was 6 [years old].