BUTLER TWP — Dusty Cranmer and Chad Wiest are moving on to bigger and better things.

In their wake, the Butler boys gymnastics team might be bigger and better than ever.

"I like what's developing here," second-year coach Kevin Hallinan said. "Yeah, we're losing our big three (Cranmer, Wiest, Cody Carnahan), but we've got a lot of up and comers.

"Nick Grant was my most improved gymnast performance-wise this year. J.B. Kolod will be a top contender in Level 9 and I'm counting on Aaron Zaiser to be our team leader."

Zaiser missed much of this season with a torn rotator cuff and will be a senior next year. Cranmer, a Seneca Valley senior, wound up placing second in floor exercise at nationals with a 9.1.

Wiest, a Moniteau graduate, joined Cranmer in making his third appearance at nationals. He managed only a 34th-place finish in all around.

"I had a bad day out there. I couldn't do anything,"Wiest said. "You can't get down, though. Just keep working."

Wiest and Cranmer will be Big Ten opponents next year. Wiest is headed to the University of Illinois, Cranmer to the University of Iowa.

But they won't forget where they came from — or what they left behind.

"I'll stop in here when I'm home on break,"Wiest said. "They'll have another good team. I'm grateful to coaches (Dave)McKinnis and Hallinan. They developed us. They taught us."

Wiest and Cranmer will join former Butler teammate Eddie Hay, who completed his freshman season at Ohio State, as Big Ten gymnasts.

Hallinan said the Butler program is well on its way to developing more college gymnasts.

"This is the second year in a row we've won the national team championship in floor exercise at level 10,"the coach said. "To do that two years in a row shows our kids haven't buckled during the second day of competition.

"Next year, our goal is to win the state title at every level, from level 4 on up. It's realistic. We'll have that kind of work ethic and ability."

Cranmer agreed.

"Mac Lewis (of Erie) is a quality gymnast and he comes from two hours away each day to be here,"Cranmer said.

On the girls side, Butler won the Tri-State team championship at levels 5, 6 and 10 and finished second at level 4. Natalie Beilstein won the Level 10 national title in floor exercise and Jessica Suder placed sixth nationally on the balance beam.

Suder will compete at Eastern Michigan University next year.

"This was the most successful team I've worked with since our high school team won back to back state titles in 1981-82," girls coach Steve Heasley said.

Taylor Bowers won a state title on the balance beam in level 9, and Haley Sefton and Hilary Lang reached regionals in level 9 as well.

Hannah Welker competed at College Bound, a meet hosted by the USAInternational Gymnastics Club, in St, Louis.

Kirsten Dahlberg, a senior, battled a shoulder injury this year and missed qualifying for level 10 nationals by .025 of a point.

Lindsey Starr made the Western Pennsylvania All-Star team as a level 8 performer.

The Butler Gymnastics Club had 55 girls comprising seven competitive teams and 30 boys comprising six competitive squads this season.