Northwood’s Haddie Hanson celebrated for winning a USTA national championship

(ABC 6 News) — Haddie Hanson, a Northwood native, is back home after one of the biggest accomplishments of her young athletic career.

Friends, family and fire trucks gave the rising Northwood-Kensett junior a hero’s welcome after she won a national championship earlier this week on Thursday. The accolade came at the USTA nationals in Lakeland, Floridan bringing home the gold for her performance in the double-mini trampoline.

"She got first in her flight and there was four flights and as they — my wife live-streamed it and I watched," Mitch Hanson, Haddie’s father recounted. "And I kept watching, my daughter wasn’t standing there, she wasn’t getting called. And they got closer to the top of the podium and they called her name and my emotions just ran loose. I couldn’t believe it.

"It’s really hard to describe, the emotions are crazy," Mitch continued. "We’re so proud of her, she’s worked really hard. The community’s knows what she’s done going to gymnastics twice a week. We drive an hour and fifteen minutes one way just to practice, usually twice a week. It’s been a huge commitment and now she’s finally gotten what she’s wanted."