Iliana Grosso of Balance Gymnastics records a perfect 10 at illustrious meet

WHITE MILLS — For men and women of a certain age, childhood memories of the Olympic Games carry special significance.

For example, millions of Americans remember exactly where they were and what they were doing in 1980 when Team USA men's hockey defeated the Soviet Union in what’s come to be known as the “Miracle on Ice.”

Similarly, there are countless folks out there who still recall the afternoon of July 18, 1976, when a shy Romanian teenager captured the world’s heart.

More: Wayne County Wanderings: Katie Firmstone realizes a lifelong dream at Balance Gymnastics

Also by Kevin Edwards: Wayne County Wanderings: Local Gymnasts Believe in Themselves

Her name was Nadia Comaneci and she was just 14 when she executed a brilliant 23-second routine on the uneven bars — an athletic display that earned her the first perfect 10 in Olympic history.

Even today, some 48 years later, a “10” in any gymnastics event is incredibly rare, so much so that it still retains an almost mythical stature in the sport.

Just ask Katie Firmstone.

Into the spotlight

A passionate advocate of Wayne County youth sports, Firmstone has dedicated a huge part of her life to gymnastics.

Following a stellar career in high school and college, she went on to become a highly-respected coach and judge.

The indefatigable mother of four is the founder of Balance Gymnastics & Wellness Center in White Mills. There, she oversees more than 400 young athletes of all ages and abilities.

One of those talented athletes is Iliana Grosso. The daughter of Nick and Marlena Grosso of Honesdale, Iliana is a third grader at Lakeside Elementary.

In many ways, she’s a typical 8-year-old, brimming with nervous energy. However, Iliana is also a gifted gymnast blessed with an uncommon work ethic and uncanny ability to focus.

She’s trained hard over the course of the past three years to hone her skills and become one of the area’s most promising young gymnasts. And, all that hard work recently paid off in the best way possible.

Last weekend, Firmstone and her staff took dozens of Balance students to the Janet Rothenberg Memorial Meet. This year’s edition of the illustrious event was hosted by the United Sports Academy and held at Kalahari Resort in Pocono Manor.

More than 1,000 boys and girls from all over the region competed at the meet, which honors the memory of a 19-year-old gymnast who died of a brain tumor in 2004.

And while many Balanced athletes distinguished themselves at the Rothenberg Memorial, Iliana stole the spotlight.

A perfect 10

In addition to a solid performance on the floor, Iliana also brought home medals for the beam, vault and all-around.

However it was on the bars that she truly dazzled. Iliana had come close to perfection at other meets, scoring as high as 9.90, but this time she was 100% dialed in.

Iliana closed out her short routine with a glide swing pullover and back hip circle. Most impressive of all, she absolutely stuck her dismount, which brought a huge smile to Firmstone’s face.

“I knew it was going to happen,” Firmstone said. “I glanced right over at the judges and they all just looked at each other and shrugged. It was as if they were saying ‘I got nothing.’"

Moments later the scoreboard lit up with a perfect 10 and the crowd went wild.

“It was really exciting,” Iliana said. “All my coaches and teammates started freaking out and jumping around. I was really happy.”

For Firmstone, it’s a moment that will stay with her forever.

“I have been coaching for a long time now and I’ve had a bunch of really talented kids, but this is our first perfect 10,” she said. “It was just amazing and I couldn’t be happier for Iliana. She’s a great kid from a great family.”

Happiness and gratitude

Iliana took a short break from practice this week to chat about her accomplishments so far.

She’s polite and respectful, but also has a shy smile, contagious giggle and mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Sitting with her coaches and older sister Milla, Iliana shared a brief glimpse of life at home and in the gym.

The Grosso family moved to Honesdale from New York just a couple of years ago. They quickly established themselves in the community as owners of Stan’s Cafe, an extremely popular local restaurant.

Iliana’s favorite school subject is math where she’s currently studying multiplication, symmetry and perimeters. On the Monday after her big moment, she was shocked to be recognized during the school’s morning announcements.

“It was a little bit embarrassing,” she said, clutching the big gold medal hanging around her neck. “I was pretty surprised.”

Next up for Iliana and her Balance teammates is a trip to Williamsport this coming weekend. There, she will compete in the Climb High Invitational Meet at the Miller Center with set her sights on a new goal.

“I really want to get a 10 in the beam, too,” she said. “I got a 9.60 last time and I’m working really hard on it.”

Whether that moment comes or not (and betting against it wouldn’t be prudent), Iliana is grateful for all the support she receives at home and in the gym.

“Thank you to my coaches and teammates,” she said with a big smile. “But most of all thank you Mom and Dad.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Balance Gymnastics phenom records perfect 10 on bars at regional meet