Neatrour successfully jumps to new level
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By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
After winning a USA Gymnastics championship last year in the trampoline event, Hollidaysburg Area Junior High School student Andrew Neatrour stepped up a level in competition this year, and he has continued to experience success.
Neatrour, who will be an eighth-grader this fall, finished in fifth place in the trampoline, fifth in the double-mini event, and fourth in the tumbling competition in the ages 13-14 division at the USA Gymnastics national tournament June 19-23 in Tulsa, Okla.
He qualified for the national tournament after becoming a champion in all three events at the Regional 6 competition (encompassing Northeast states from Virginia north to Maine) April 15-16 in Virginia Beach, Va.
He also won all three events at the state competition in Lancaster in late March to qualify for the regional.
Neatrour has been invited to a Junior Elite Division developmental camp for the double-mini event that will be held in Peoria, Ill. Sept. 2-3.
"The developmental camp is for kids who are looking to be on the USA Gymnastics national team, or the junior national team, in the future,'' said Andrew's father, Duke Neatrour. "Andrew moved up from Level 9 to Level 10 in both the trampoline and double-mini events at the beginning of this year, and from Level 8 to Level 9 in the tumbling event.
"The levels are numbered by degree of difficulty, and there are more skills that he has been required to develop to be at Level 10,'' Duke Neatrour added. "Level 10 is very competitive, and I think that he was very happy with how he did.''
That was a correct assessment.
"I'm excited with how I did, and I'm grateful for how I did because it was my first year at Level 10 and I didn't really have huge expectations,'' Andrew said.
There were about 20 competitors in his division in the trampoline event, and about 15 in the double-mini (miniature trampoline) event, at the national tournament.
Andrew Neatrour qualified for the finals in all three of his events at the national tournament.
"Finishing fifth in a national competition of 20 or more people in the trampoline, and making the national finals in the double-mini event, was really exciting,'' said Andrew Neatrour, who practices 12 hours a week -- four days a week for three hours at a time -- at the Centre Elite Gymnastics facility in State College.
"Moving up a level definitely took a lot of work, practice, and dedication,'' Andrew Neatrour added. "You have to be in the right mindset.''
Elizabeth Aceto, who is Andrew Neatrour's coach at the Centre Elite gymnastics facility, said that he has worked hard at his craft and has steadily made strides.
"He moved up a level this year, and he's trying to go into the Elite Division next year,'' said Aceto, who pointed out that financial support from businesses and/or individuals will be welcomed in order to help defray the cost of Andrew's extensive travel and training regimen. "He trains four times a week, and his work ethic is improving every year. He sees what the end goal is and he knows what he has to do to get there.
"Some days are going to be harder than others, and every gymnast is always going to reach that point where the gymnast faces difficulty and has to work for things,'' Aceto added. "He's definitely at that point now, where he's had to work on his progressions and things don't happen in just one or two practices. He has been developing a lot of the resilience that is necessary for him to succeed.''
A USA Gymnastics administrative committee chose Andrew for the double-mini event in the Illinois Junior Elite Division developmental camp after reviewing scores from the national competition.
There are three Elite Divisions -- starting with the Junior Elite Division, which Andrew is aiming to be moving up to next year.
"I was super grateful that I got to be picked for this camp because only 10 male athletes in the entire nation got picked, and I was one of them,'' Andrew said. "I'm looking forward to it, and I'm very excited about what it's going to be like.''
Further down the road, qualifying for the USA Gymnastics national team is a big goal for Andrew Neatrour, who also teamed with gymnastics partner Shaun Brumm of Lancaster to win a gold medal in the synchronized trampoline national competition.
"It's a goal of mine that I want to make come true,'' Andrew said of attaining a spot on the national team. "I think that it's possible for me to achieve if I train a lot and put myself in a positive mindset.
"That's a good way to look forward to things.''