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Steamboat Springs — Allison Ingols-Irwin has high aspirations when it comes to gymnastics.

The 8-year-old, who is getting ready to go into third grade, wants to be an Olympic gymnast.

"I enjoy having fun and going to competitions," Allison said. "I really want to go to the Olympics."

Allison just returned from the state gymnastics competition in Castle Rock during the weekend where she placed fourth overall in the Level 4 ability division.

Gymnasts start at Level 1 and move all the way through until they reach the Olympic level.

Allison has been doing gymnastics since she was 3 years old, when several other family members and friends picked up the sport. It was then that she fell in love with gymnastics.

She qualified for the state meet after attending meets in Gypsum, Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction. She finished second in Gypsum and won the other two meets.

At the state meet, she finished third on the balance beam, fourth on the floor, fifth on the vault and fifth on the bars.

"Absolutely, I was pleased," said Kris Irwin, Allison's coach and mom. "She trained really hard and did so well in the preseason."

Allison trains at Gym Star Gymnastics in Craig. She said that during the state meet she wasn't too nervous except on the balance beam. But by the time she got to her floor routine - where she scored a 9.8 earlier in the year - she felt fine.

"It was very exciting," said Allison, whose favorite gymnast is Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson.

Now Allison will focus on her upcoming schedule. Although she doesn't have any more meets on the horizon this summer, her performance at the state meet got her invited to train in Grand Junction.

She'll spend parts of July and August training there, before moving to a Level 5 next season. She's already thinking about the state meet next year.

"I'll do better next year," she said. "I want to make the top 10 in state again."