BUTLER TWP— Talk about taking it to the next level.

Natalie Beilstein, Hannah Welker and Kristin Cukovich have become experts at doing that in gymnastics.

All three compete at Level 10 — the highest level available in Junior Olympic competition — at the Butler Gymnastics Club and all three continue to reach new heights.

• Beilstein, a junior at Knoch, is the two-time defending national floor champion and recently finished first in the vault with a 9.775, second on the balance beam with a 9.50 and second in the all-around with a 38.125 at the Pennsylvania State Championships in Erie.

• Cukovich, a Renfrew resident and Seneca Valley senior, bumped up to Level 10 this year and finished ninth in the all-around with a 34.300, joining Beilstein in qualifying for this weekend's regional meet in Newport News, Va.

• Welker, a Knoch senior, did not compete most of this season because of lower back problems, but she received the Myra Bachuchin Spadafore Memorial Award from the Tri-State Gymnastics Association and the Barb Knothe Memorial Scholarship from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Welker is headed to the University of Illinois on a full gymnastics scholarship. She is only the second Butler Gymnastics Club competitor to win the Spadafore award — Terri Trimbur of Karns City won it 10 years ago — and she's the first to win the Knothe Award.

"They are prestigious awards for leadership skills and dedication to the sport,"Butler coach Steve Heasley said.

Welker entered only two meets this season before her doctor suggested she stop competing for the year.

"It was an ongoing, nagging pain,"Welker said of her back. "It was an overuse injury, so I had to take some time off. Illinois is what I'm striving for now."

Only recently has Welker returned to the gym, pain-free, to go back to work on honing her skills. She finished as high as second in state competition while competing for Butler.

In due time, Beilstein will receive a similar college opportunity.

Still with another year to compete locally, she has become a national recruit, receiving offers from Utah, Michigan, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Nebraska and Penn State, among others.

"They're all top-10 programs nationally,"Heasley said. "Coaches have been in and out of here like crazy looking at her.

"I'm sure Natalie will sign early. The success she's had at the national level — everybody knows about her."

Beilstein said she's leaning toward Michigan and its gymnastics coach Beverly Plocki, a Butler graduate.

"I like the program and I like the school, but I'm keeping my options open,"Beilstein said.

Level 10 nationals are May 16 to 18 in Orlando, Fla. Beilstein has her eye on becoming a third-time national floor champion and hopes to take a shot at the all-around title.

She was only half a point away from the Pennsylvania all- around title, her 38.125 falling short of Northeast's Lauren Rogers' 38.175.

Cukovich is joining Beilstein at regionals with an all-around score of 34.300. An all-around score of at least 34.00 is required to reach regionals.

Cukovich is headed to Division IIIWilson (Pa.)College next year and will compete in gymnastics there.

"Kristin was a Level 9 performer last year and wanted to step up to Level 10 for her final year with us,"Heasley said. "She's exceeded expectations."

Cukovich's highest finish at the state meet was seventh in floor exercise with a 9.050.

Butler's Level 10 team won the optional division at Tri-State Team Championships for the third consecutive year.