HUNTINGTON - When a Karolyi speaks, it gets your attention.

Kayla Williams, a soon-to-be junior at Huntington High, received once-in-a-lifetime advice last week from Marta Karolyi, the USA women's gymnastics national team coordinator.

"She said she liked me,'' beamed Williams, who was invited to the developmental camp after capturing the all-around championship at the Junior Olympic Nationals last month in Puyallup, Wash.

"She said she'd like to see improvements on my flexibility and my artistry on floor [exercise]. She wants me to show off a little more on my dance, but other than that she said that I had really big skills and she's excited to see what would happen if my flexibility gets better. I'm at home in splits [and] I'm [at the gym] in splits. I'm just trying to get more flexible.''

The 16-year-old Williams, who trains at Bozhi's Gym Nest in Huntington, received the exclusive invitation to the Karolyi's 500-acre ranch in New Waverly, Texas, after Steve Penny, the president of USA Gymnastics, saw Williams' performance on the floor exercise and vault during nationals.

The Karolyi's facility serves as a de facto national training center for the country's top female gymnasts. Bela Karolyi, Marta's husband, has coached nine Olympic champions, including Fairmont native Mary Lou Retton.

"It was a great experience for me just to be able to get out there in front of really important people like Marta [and] the people that help her make the decisions on who's going to be on the teams,'' said Williams.

Williams became the first gymnast from West Virginia to capture a national all-around title, a feat that Retton, an Olympic gold medalist, never accomplished. Williams was runner-up in the all-around at nationals last year and she became the first gymnast from the Mountain State since Retton to win a national title two years ago on balance beam. 

"It's a difficult task just to get there, to qualify during regionals,'' Williams said. "So to be able to say I'm the national champion and I went out there and hit all my routines is just great. All my work finally paid off. It was finally my turn to win.''

Williams, who maintains a 3.80 grade-point average, is also drawing attention from the top colleges around the country. She has been contacted by 20 of the top 25 gymnastics schools and has already taken unofficial visits to Michigan ant WVU.

"They're like tripping over each other now,'' said Hrabrina Spencer, Williams' coach at the Gym Nest. "They're all interested. They all want her. At nationals all the college coaches are there. They were all piling up at the gym where she was performing."

Georgia, the 10-time NCAA Division I champion, visited the Gym Nest last week while Arkansas and Florida are set for visits Friday. Alabama and UCLA have scheduled visits next month while Auburn, Michigan and WVU have already made appearances.

"It's a lot of fun,'' said Williams. "I like to have my options open - who's going to best fit with my personality? I don't have any favorites as to where I want to go.''

Williams competes at Level 10, the highest level for junior Olympic competition, and will try to earn her elite qualification this month. The elite level is the one at which the Olympic and international gymnasts compete. 

HUNTINGTON - When a Karolyi speaks, it gets your attention.

Kayla Williams, a soon-to-be junior at Huntington High, received once-in-a-lifetime advice last week from Marta Karolyi, the USA women's gymnastics national team coordinator.

"She said she liked me,'' beamed Williams, who was invited to the developmental camp after capturing the all-around championship at the Junior Olympic Nationals last month in Puyallup, Wash.

"She said she'd like to see improvements on my flexibility and my artistry on floor [exercise]. She wants me to show off a little more on my dance, but other than that she said that I had really big skills and she's excited to see what would happen if my flexibility gets better. I'm at home in splits [and] I'm [at the gym] in splits. I'm just trying to get more flexible.''

The 16-year-old Williams, who trains at Bozhi's Gym Nest in Huntington, received the exclusive invitation to the Karolyi's 500-acre ranch in New Waverly, Texas, after Steve Penny, the president of USA Gymnastics, saw Williams' performance on the floor exercise and vault during nationals.

The Karolyi's facility serves as a de facto national training center for the country's top female gymnasts. Bela Karolyi, Marta's husband, has coached nine Olympic champions, including Fairmont native Mary Lou Retton.

"It was a great experience for me just to be able to get out there in front of really important people like Marta [and] the people that help her make the decisions on who's going to be on the teams,'' said Williams.

Williams became the first gymnast from West Virginia to capture a national all-around title, a feat that Retton, an Olympic gold medalist, never accomplished. Williams was runner-up in the all-around at nationals last year and she became the first gymnast from the Mountain State since Retton to win a national title two years ago on balance beam. 

"It's a difficult task just to get there, to qualify during regionals,'' Williams said. "So to be able to say I'm the national champion and I went out there and hit all my routines is just great. All my work finally paid off. It was finally my turn to win.''

Williams, who maintains a 3.80 grade-point average, is also drawing attention from the top colleges around the country. She has been contacted by 20 of the top 25 gymnastics schools and has already taken unofficial visits to Michigan ant WVU.

"They're like tripping over each other now,'' said Hrabrina Spencer, Williams' coach at the Gym Nest. "They're all interested. They all want her. At nationals all the college coaches are there. They were all piling up at the gym where she was performing."

Georgia, the 10-time NCAA Division I champion, visited the Gym Nest last week while Arkansas and Florida are set for visits Friday. Alabama and UCLA have scheduled visits next month while Auburn, Michigan and WVU have already made appearances.

"It's a lot of fun,'' said Williams. "I like to have my options open - who's going to best fit with my personality? I don't have any favorites as to where I want to go.''

Williams competes at Level 10, the highest level for junior Olympic competition, and will try to earn her elite qualification this month. The elite level is the one at which the Olympic and international gymnasts compete. 

If she earns her elite status, she'll compete in two premier events, including the U.S. championships in August.

"At that point that's when USA Gymnastics starts deciding we want her for this,'' said Elizabeth Williams, Kayla's mother. "We can use her and let's see what she can do. This is the first summer she's competed. We're usually done in May after nationals.''

The U.S. championships determine who qualifies for world championships that will take place in October in London, which is the site of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Williams was also chosen as a Region 7 All-Star and will attend a training camp in London in the autumn.

"She's been developing for 10 years,'' said Spencer, who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics for Bulgaria. "She has not hit her potential. She has more in her, a lot more. That's why the confidence is so high.

"She's always been a good athlete. It's just like those final pieces of the puzzle have come together. I think she's perfectly capable of making the U.S. national team. If she keeps it going maybe we can make a spot on the world team this year. I do believe if she stays healthy she can make the next Olympics.''

Williams has worked year-round the past couple of years, putting in 30 hours per week, six days a week at the Gym Nest. In addition to her gym work, she sees a personal trainer three days a week.

"She's a hard worker [and] she's a good listener,'' Spencer said. "Any college she goes to she is well prepared and she's any coach's dream. You have to learn good discipline [and] a good working attitude, then you can teach the skills.

"When you have a talented athlete it's pretty worthless if you can't work together with the parents. They lived in Nitro for the first eight years of her practicing here and she's the girl that has never been late.''

Williams' parents, Woody and Elizabeth, moved the family from Nitro to Huntington two years ago to be closer to the Gym Nest. Elizabeth Williams said they spend roughly $12,000 per year for coaching and travel.

"I know a lot of people have taken their daughters after starting out in a small gym like this and moved them to Cincinnati or Houston, but we really felt like they have gotten her this far,'' said Elizabeth Williams. "She's pretty much at the top where she needs to be. We're really comfortable here.''

In spite of all the accolades recently, it's business as usual for Williams.

"This summer is just working and improving my routines,'' she said. "Probably getting some new skills, I hope. I need to improve on bars, my dismount and everything else just clean up a little bit [and] make it look better.''

Reach Tommy R. Atkinson at tatkin...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-4811.