Thomasville, Georgia is in southwest Georgia, a city of just over 18,000 people, and named after Jett Thomas a general in the War of 1812.  Thomasville holds an annual Rose Festival and is even referred to as the City of Roses.  It is also the home to a blossoming young high school athlete.

To see the top all-around gymnast in Georgia you have to go to Thomasville, Georgia, where sixteen year old Thomas County Central sophomore Sterlyn Austin lives.  The 5-2  dynamo finished ninth on the bars, seventh on the beam, fifth in the vault,  and first in the floor exercise to win the All-Around title at this year’s GHSA state championship.

“Sterlyn is just a sophomore, and all eyes were on her as she had very high degree of difficulties in all her events” says Thomas County Central gymnastic coach Allen Harden.

This is the first time in the history of Thomas County Central High School that a gymnast has won the all- around title and the folks in Thomasville are very proud of their new state champion.

“Everyone has been so supportive at school. They announced my win over the intercom and put my photo on the school TV.  They are getting me a championship ring and hanging a banner in the gym. The support has been wonderful,” says Sterlyn.“She is a little dynamo.  She is humble, not a show off, she is a good student.  She grew up in Thomasville and has gone through the program.  She is always in the gym working hard.” says the coach.

While all of her scores were impressive, 9.1 on the bars, 9.2 on the beam, and 9.5 on the vault, her specialty is in the floor exercise where she led the competition with an outstanding 9.825 total to wrap up the all-around individual title.

“Winning the all-around was big, overwhelming really, and I surprised myself. I knew I could win the floor exercise but wasn’t too sure about the all-around.  It was a bit of a surprise,” says the champ.

One thing is for sure, the experience of winning the all-around title will help build confidence in future competitions. Sterlyn’s specialty is the floor exercise where a gymnast gets 90 seconds to perform her routine.  Sterlyn’s routine  is full of jumps and twists and with a high degree of difficulty. And she loves being center stage.

  Steryln’s mother, Monica says, “I am so proud of her, she has been doing gymnastics since she was three, and competing since she was six, and winning the state title just confirms that this is her true passion in sports.”

Growing up in Thomasville is a big plus for a budding gymnastic star.

“My family is here, everyone knows you, and you feel connected to your community,” says Sterlyn.

It has been a busy week for Steryln winning the all-around title and then getting what every 16 year old can’t wait to receive, her Georgia driver license. Not too many teenagers will have a better week than that.As to the future, Sterlyn still has two more years of high school to go,  but her coach sees so much promise.

“With Sterlyn, the sky is the limit.  She is natural, powerful athlete. She is very talented.  She needs to stay healthy and stay motivated, and she can compete at the Division I level in college gymnastics.,”says coach Harden.

Sterlyn  has worked hard to bring back to Thomas County Central the first all-round title in school history. She works out over 13 hours each week, just about every day. 

There is an old oak tree at the corner of Monroe and Crawford streets in downtown Thomasville that is 320 years old…..just 304 years older than Sterlyn.  That old oak has seen it all over the past three centuries.Thomasville is the home to many famous people like former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young and movie star Joanne Woodward not to mention a bevy of NFL standouts like  William Andrews, Myron Guyton, Marcus Stroud and Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward Jr.And now there is a new rising star in the Georgia High School gymnastics world.  A new all-around champion.

Sterlyn Austin.