BUTLER TWP — The hours are long. Injuries can occur. The chance of attaining ultimate success is a long-shot.

Yet many youth gymnasts come back for more, year after year, for basic reasons that have nothing to do with the above.

“I just love the tumbling,” Knoch freshman Kara Fennell said.

“It’s just fun,” Connoquenessing Elementary fourth-grader Mallie Clement said. “I really like it.

“I don’t get tired of it because I can always get better at it.”

Kara and Mallie are among the top performers at the Butler Gymnastics Club. Kara is a Level 9 gymnast who won the Level 7 state championship in bars and won state titles at Levels 3 and 4 in all-around. Mallie is a Level 8 gymnast who has won titles in floor, bars, vault and all-around at meets so far this season.

Both have aspirations of competing at the college level one day. Kara got started in gymnastics when she was 3. Mallie got started at kindergarten age.

“Believe it or not, Mallie got started late,” BGC coach Michelle Heasley said. “She had plenty of catching up to do, but she did it. She just skipped over a couple of levels along the way. That girl is very talented and very coachable.

“Kara suffered a hip injury and wasn’t able to compete at states the past couple of years. But she’s stayed with it and she’s very hungry this year.”

Kara and Mallie are not alone. Aubrey Rock is a Butler freshman and a Level 9 gymnast. She also runs track and field and figures to impact the Golden Tornado in that sport this spring. Kylie Holt is in seventh grade and is a Level 8 gymnast.

Coach Lori Maielli estimates 35 girls between Levels 6 and 9 she’s working with at BGC this year.

“There are a lot of dedicated young girls here,” Maielli said. “They support each other. They know each other and become friends since they’re here together so much.”

The gymnasts practice at the club four days a week, for three and a half hours each session. Many are into other activities as well. Mallie attends dance class each Saturday after gymnastics practice.

“The club’s been around for 48 years and we’ve sent maybe 12 gymnasts on to compete in college,” Heasley said. “It’s so hard. You want to be at Level 10 by your early high school years for the colleges to look at you. We don’t get many girls staying here through their senior year. Their bodies change or they get involved ion other things and don’t want to do the time commitment anymore.

College gymnastic programs take the best of the best. These kids have to succeed at the regional and national level to really be given a shot.”

Heasley added that it is “extremely rare” for a fourth-grader to already be at Level 8, as in Mallie’s case.

“That gives her five or six years to compete the jump to Level 10 ... but those final jumps to 9 and 10 are the toughest ones to make,” she said. “The degree of difficulty in routines shoot way up.”

Kara still has her eye on the prize despite dealing with her hip injury.

She’s competed in five meets so far this year and has placed at least first or second in various events at each one.

“I couldn’t do much of anything for two years (after the injury),” Kara said of gymnastics. “It was hard. I couldn’t wait to get back. My goal is a college scholarship and yeah, I’m hungry to get back out there and prove myself.”

“Kara, Mallie ... these girls have the ability,” Maielli said. “They are also coachable. They find their mistakes, make corrections and fix it.”

Jim Sinchak has been a coach at the club for 36 years and works with gymnasts at Levels 6 through 9. He said he respects the way Kara has bounced back from her injury.

“Kara is a super story,” Sinchak said. “Injuries happen and gymnasts have to overcome the fear factor that way. The way she’s come back at the level she has is very impressive.

“Mallie is a tremendous talent. For such a young age, she’s extremely competitive and enthusiastic. She’s tireless on the mat and shows potential for a real future in this sport.”

Sinchak added that Rock successfully balances two sports.

“I’ve been working with Aubrey since she was 3 or 4 years old,” he said. “And I love Kylie’s enthusiasm, positive attitude and hard work. All of these girls work hard. There’s so much mathematics and physics to this sport. The girls work on angles and velocity all the time. It’s complicated.”

Yet they work together.

The gymnasts themselves comprised the “Butler Gymnastics Club Charter” which includes keeping a positive attitude, showing respect for others, encouraging team unity, show patience and compassion, exhibit good sportsmanship, be a problem solver and be persistent.

“They’re all like family,” Maielli said. “This is a group of kids who really know what they want to do.”