BUTLER TWP - Talk about your over-achievers.

The Butler Gymnastics Club's Level 7 boys team - consisting of five competitors - did something this season no Butler Level 7 squad had done before: win a state championship.

"They did a lot more than I expected," said Butler Gymnastics Club boys coach Kevin Hallinan. "I didn't see this coming.

"These guys had to learn new rules, new routines, a new system. They spent the whole year climbing. When they got to states, they reached the top."

The Level 7 state meet was held in Allentown. All five Butler gymnasts - Nick Grant, Ben Zaiser, J.B. Kolod, Anthony Ferrigno and Corey Barnes - contributed to the state-title performance.

Grant, 14, a Butler Junior High student, won state titles in floor exercise, high bar and all-around. He will be making the jump to level 10 next year.

"Just one month after regionals, Nick was working on Level 10 moves and executing them," Hallinan said. "He'll make the adjustment with little trouble because he works so hard at it."

"It was exciting winning at Level 7," Grant said. "It felt good because the whole team worked for it and played a part in it."

Depending on the year, Grant has performed well at state, but not at regional - or vice versa.

"I have no clue," he said of the inconsistency. "I prepare for everything the same way. Sometimes I hit the routine, sometimes I don't."

Kolod placed second in floor exercise at the state meet, third on the pommel horse, rings and all around. Zaiser placed third on the floor and rings.

Barnes placed third on the high bar, while Ferrigno was fourth on rings.

Hallinan described Grant as "a perfectionist. He finished third at regionals (West Point, N.Y.) and missed out on first by two-tenths of a point."

Grant scored a 53.85 in all-around at the regional last year. He placed second on the pommel horse and high bar, fifth in floor exercise.

"My goal next year is to get down all the tricks my coach wants me to do," Grant said. "And I want to make it to nationals."

Zaiser joined Grant as a 12-year-old on this year's team. The other three all competed in the 10- to 11-year-old age bracket.

"We were competing at Level 9 last year," Zaiser said. "I thought we were going to win the (state) championship this year because of how hard we worked.

"We spent a lot of time practicing and we've been doing this since we were little kids."

Zaiser got his start in gymnastics at age 3.

Hallinan doesn't anticipate any of his Level 7 gymnasts having much trouble moving to the next level.

"These guys are going to get stronger and faster physically," the coach said. "They're already on the right track mentally.

"There were brand new tricks for them to learn this year and they just fed off that experience. The same thing will probably happen again."