BUTLER TWP — Heading to Junior Olympic Nationals is nothing new for gymnasts Chad Wiest, Dusty Cranmer and Cody Carnahan.

Only now the veteran anchors of the Butler Gymnastics Club's level 10 boys teams are going to Battle Creek, Mich., this weekend, with a clear purpose in mind.

"These guys want to come back with the national team championship,"their coach, Kevin Hallinan, said. "They want to show they're the best level 10 team in the country.

"Everybody we have out there will have to hit their routines almost perfectly. But I have to say, it's possible."

Butler has never sent more than five boys gymnasts to nationals in one season until this year. Joining Wiest, Cranmer and Carnahan are Aaron Zaiser, Nick Grant and Robert "Mac"Lewis in level 10, J.B. Kolod and Ben Zaiser in level 9.

Wiest, Cranmer and Carnahan all placed among the top 11 in all around at the recently completed seven-state Region VII meet in Rochester, N.Y.

Wiest, a senior at Moniteau headed to the University of Illinois on a gymnastics scholarship, placed third all around at regionals with a 57.375. He won regional titles in floor exercise, vault and parallel bars.

A mishap on high bars cost him a 23rd-place finish, or he might have challenged for the all around title.

"You can feed off momentum in this sport and I'm hoping to do that,"Wiest said. "I'm going there to win this year, individually and as a team.

"We really want it this year. Go out on top. We were the first boys to come in here (Butler Gymnastics Club). There was nothing when we came."

Hallinan said that Wiest, Cranmer and Carnahan — along with Ohio State freshman Eddie Hay before them — formed the nucleus of his program.

Hallinan is completing his second year as the Butler boys coach.

"Those guys deserve the credit,"he said. "I saw how hard they were working and I wanted to work hard for them. It's amazing what they've accomplished, how far they've come."

Cranmer, a senior at Seneca Valley headed to the University of Iowa on a gymnastics scholarship, finished sixth all around at regionals with a 50.650. He was second on high bars and fourth in vault.

"This is my third time out (to nationals) and I've gotten used to it,"he said. "The nerves are gone. It's time to perform."

"Dusty can win the parallel bars at nationals,"Hallinan said. "He's very capable. When he hits his routine, there's none better.

"He's right there with Chad on vault and floor exercise, too. They've beaten each other in all three of those events."

Carnahan, a senior at Karns City, placed 11th all around at regionals with a 49.350. That performance included a third-place finish in high bars at 8.45.

"These guys started this progran,"Hallinan said. "They take pride in it. They helped give it a name. Clearly, we'll miss them, but they've shown the way for the younger gymnasts."

Wiest and Cranmer have been members of the Butler program since age 5. All that's left for them now is to pick up some national recognition.

"There's no room for errors,"Cranmer said. "You have to hit it. We know what we're capable of doing. You have to be confident you can do it on the national stage."

Wiest agreed.

"I'm stronger, more polished than ever,"he said. "I know it."

Now's the time to show it.