BUTLER TWP - Natalie Beilstein and Sarah Reppermund had sad endings to their respective gymnastics seasons - for different reasons.

Beilstein, 14, one of five Level 10 female gymnasts at the Butler Gymnastics Club, broke her ankle just before beginning the regional meet.

"It happened while she was warming up," coach Steve Heasley said. "She fell off the beam. It was a shame. She was coming off an impressive state meet and another great season."

Beilstein has been involved in gymnastics since age 2. She scored a 9.35 on bars to win that event at the state meet. She finished first in all around at two meets - the Christmas Tree Classic and Stars and Stripes event - also finishing first in the vault, bars and floor exercise at the Stars and Stripes.

"Natalie is just an exceptional all-around gymnast," Heasley said.

Reppermund, a Knoch graduate headed to Slippery Rock University in the fall, ended her gymnastics career with a seventh-place finish in all-around at the level 10 state meet.

She qualified for the regional meet in her only season as a level 10 gymnast. Now 18, she will be ineligible age-wise to compete for the Butler club next season.

"It's sad. It's an empty feeling knowing I won't be back," Reppermund said. "My whole life I've been coming here two to five days a week.

"This place is like my second home. Since I'll only be at Slippery Rock, I'm sure I'll come back here a few times to work out."

A track and field performer at Knoch, Reppermund hit 10 feet, 9 inches in the pole vault and 5-2 in the high jump.

"Gymnastics helped me in both of those events," she said. "But where they really helped was in time management and academics.

"I learned how to budget my time through my involvement here and I'll benefit from that for the rest of my life."

Butler's other level 10 girls gymnasts this year were Hannah Welker, Jessica Suder and Brittani Carmandi-Weber. The latter was injured most of the year.

Welker placed second in floor and sixth in all-around at the state meet. Suder was second on the beam at the state meet and fifth at the regional meet.

Suder, a Seneca Valley student, also placed first in all-around at the Erie meet, second at the Buckeye Classic and third at the Black Eyed Susan and New York meet.

The Butler Gymnastics Club had only two level 9 gymnasts and one of them, Kristen Cukovich, was injured most of the year. The other, Haley Sefton, placed fifth in all-around at the state meet.

Other highlights from the Butler Gymnastics Club girls season include:

The Level 8 team finishing second at the Tri-State Team Championships. Taylor Bowers finished fifth all-around at the state meet and 10th at the regional.

Other team members were Hayley Barnes, Emily Barnhart, Hillary Lang, Beth Reppermund, Olivia Stewart and Jennifer Suder.

Kasey Davidson placed first all-around, in floor exercise and on the beam at the Level 7 state meet. Lindsey Starr, a Junior Miss Saxonburg, placed second on the bars, vault and floor and third all-around.

Keriann Napora, Kelsey Toy, Jeralyn Smith, Kaste Green and Chiara Curci rounded out the squad, which finished 14th out of more than 50 teams at the state meet.

The level 4 team won the 12-team Tri-State Championships in Butler and the eight-team Cloud Nine meet in New Castle. Alexis Frenchak and Taylor Maher of Butler, Emily Klann of Evans City and Annie Hegedus of Karns City keyed the victory.

"We had a great group of girls this year, probably the best we've ever had here at this level," coach Michelle Heasley said.

Megan Crawford and Rebecca Arturo went back and forth in winning all-around at almost every meet for the level 5 team.

Photo: Suder