For someone who is just entering his junior year of high school, Ben Vardaman is already quite a decorated athlete. A gymnast who attends the Andover E-cademy, Vardaman’s home gym is 316 Gymnastics. He is quick to mention his team’s success, but at the Springfield Gymnastics Invitational, Vardaman put on quite a show.
“I took second on floor with my highest floor score in my career, third on pommel, first on rings with a season high, competed and hit a new skill on pbars, and took first AA with the highest score of my career at a 67.2” Vardaman commented, before adding “my team and I finished first in region 3 championship.”
He wasn’t done there, however, as he also finished 19th in the individual all-around at the Western National Championships, including a 5th place finish on highbar.
When asked what his off-season focus was, Vardaman answered “Over the off-season, I have been focusing on strength. Rings specifically require a lot of strength in order to have competitive routines.” In order to assist with some of that training, he has traveled to Kansas City and Denver to work at different camps and gyms and with other coaches.
Vardaman is also looking ahead to what happens after high school, mentioning that his future plans include hoping to compete for the United States Naval Academy, adding “I hope to commit to as many years of service as I can to either the United States Navy or Marine Corp with a focus on medical trauma and surgery.”
