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Veronica "Nica" Hults was born on June 16, 1998 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Scott and Emer Hults. She is the oldest of three children where she has a younger brother, John (4) and a younger sister, Sofia (3). Currently, Nica is in eighth grade at K12 Texas Virtual Academy.
At the age two, she would scale up the door jams and do leg lifts with just the tip of her fingers holding her up from the top of the door jam! Soon after, Nica wanted to try gymnastics and began taking recreational classes at Payke Gymnastics. At the beginning of Nica's competitive career, she trained at All Olympia Gymnastics Center in Los Angeles, California under coaches Artur Atkopyan and Galina Marinova. After Nica's 2010 season concluded, her father, Scott was offered a job in Texas, which brought Nica to Texas Dreams Gymnastics.
In 2006, Nica began competing as a level 5 gymnast. She finished third in the all-around at the AOGC Invitational. She won the floor exercise title at the All Olympia Spring Invitational. At the 2nd Prelim, she finished first on floor exercise and second in the all-around. Nica won the floor exercise title at the 3rd Prelim. At the West Sectional, she won vault, floor exercise and the all-around. She placed first on uneven bars, balance beam and the all-around at the Level 5 State Championships.
Nica moved up to level 6 in 2007. Nica placed third in the all-around at the All Olympia Spring Invitational. She placed second in the all-around at the 2nd Prelim and first in the all-around at the Judges Cup. She won the all-around title at the West Sectional meet. At the Level 6 State Championships, she placed first on uneven bars and floor exercise as well as second in the all-around. Nica also made the National TOPs Team.
She immediately moved into level 7 competition in 2008. She finished second in the all-around and first on floor exercise at the Fiesta Bowl Invitational. She won balance beam, floor exercise and the all-around at the AOGC Invitational. At the Level 7 State Championships, she finished first on balance beam, floor exercise and the all-around. Nica made her second National TOPs Team in the fall. In 2009, Nica began competing as a level 8 gymnast. She finished third in the all-around at the Surf City Classic and Level 8 State Championships. She also won the uneven bars title at the latter. There, she qualified to the Level 8 Regionals, where she placed first in the all-around, first on uneven bars and second on floor exercise.
In 2010, Nica moved up to level 9. She finished first on floor at the Level 9 State Championships. At the Level 9 Regionals, she placed second on uneven bars and floor exercise as well as first on balance beam and in the all-around. She ended her 2010 season the Level 9 Western Nationals where she finished fourth on balance beam, first on floor exercise and seventh in the all-around. After Nica's 2010 season, Nica began training at Texas Dreams Gymnastics in Texas.
Nica started her 2011 season at the WOGA National Elite Qualifier where she placed first on balance beam. At the Development Camp in Huntsville, Texas, she successfully passed both optionals and compulsories in the elite testing and became a junior international elite gymnast. In June, she traveled to Orlando, Florida for the Disney National Elite Qualifier where she placed fifth in the all-around and first on balance beam. At the American Classic, she earned a silver medal on floor exercise. Nica traveled to Chicago, IL for the US Covergirl Classic where she finished 13th in the all-around and first on balance beam with a 15.050. This qualified Nica to her first VISA Championships. Nica finished fifth on balance beam at the Junior VISA Championships.
Currently, Nica trains 36 hours per week at Texas Dreams Gymnastics under coaches Chris Burdette and Kim Zmeskal-Burdette. She is preparing for the upcoming 2012 season as a junior international elite gymnast.
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