EVANS CITY — A gymnastics phenom at age 8?

Evans City resident Austin Harmon, a third-grader at Evans City Elementary, may fit the bill.

“This kid is the real deal,” said Fran Fennel, Austin's coach at Jewart's Gymnastics in Gibsonia.

Austin won gold medals in all-around and the pommel event at the 2020 PA Men's State Championship for Level 4 gymnastics last weekend. The event was held at the Upper Chichester Municipal Complex in Boothwyn, near Philadelphia.

He also won a silver medal in the floor event and bronze on the parallel bars. Austin is captain of the Level 4 Pittsburgh Northstars boys gymnastics team.

“I like my team, the people, my coaches, and all of the eventys are fun,” Austin said. “This seems to be the right fit for me.”

This was his first year of competition.

“He's been involved in gymnastics since he was 3,” Austin's father, Tom Harmon, said. “We enrolled him in free classes at the Butler YMCA, just to develop coordination as a toddler.

“He really took to it. From there, we took him to the Butler Gymnastics Club, then on to Jewart's. Austin has a lot of interest and enthusiasm for it. He really enjoys doing this and we as parents are trying to support that.”

Fennel has seen such enthusiasm — and ability — before.

She coaches Finley Stearn, 16, who has already been to the Olympics Training Center in Coloado Springs six times and has been a member of the Junior National team.

Fennel, originally from Butler, coached Stearn at a gymnastics club in Berlin, Md., and now coaches him at Jewart's.

“Austin reminds me so much of him when Finley was at that age,” Fennel said. “He comes in here ready to work out. He listens. He watches the older guys.

“He is very serious about this sport.”

Fennel shares his enthusiasm toward gymnastics. She severely injured both shoulders while spotting for a gymnast and required surgery.

At that point, she returned to the Butler area.

“The doctors told me I wouldn't be able to coach gymnastics again,” Fennel said. “But here I am. A lot of young kids come into the gym, don't listen, they don't try ... You wonder why they're even here.

“I see Austin and I can't help but believe he's gonna make it. I'm a dreamer. The way he goes at it, if he stays healthy, the sky's the limit. He is that good.”

She added that “he's strong in all six events and he's one of the hardest workers I've ever seen.”

Auistin said he's strongest “on the rings and pommel horse.”

As for winning the state title, he said “I'm glad I did it. I felt surprised when I won.

“I was a little nervous when I first started (at the state championships), but once I got out there and started doing it ... The nervous ran out of me.”

Austin comes to Jewart's two nights a week and practices from 5:30 to 8 p.m. He also comes in Saturdays from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

“He never gets tired of it. If he could stay longer, he would,” Fennel said. “Gymnastics is definitely in his blood.

“The first year I get a kid, it's about learning. The second year, it's about trying to win. Austin has already won in his first year. He's going to fly through levels 5 and 6. He's going to progress through levels quickly.”

“We've always thought he had some special, almost natural talents as a gymnast,” Mr. Harmon said. “But I realize everyone thinks their kid is special.

“It's nice that he has a coach in Fran who is so encouraging and believes in him. We never had or put any expectations on Austin when he started doing this as a toddler. We certainly never expected anything like what he's done already.

“As parents, we're just gonna sit back and let it all happen,” he added.