GREAT FALLS – After training for multiple hours for several days a week over the span of many years, four young male gymnasts in Great Falls have qualified for a much-anticipated regional competition.
They qualified by competing at the state level and making certain scores while there.
The gymnasts include 12-year-old Jonathan Menevy, 9-year-old James Morrison, 13-year-old Chris Park and 11-year-old Caedmon Cox.
Each of them qualified for all events, which include the floor vault, high bar, parallel bars and pommel horse.
To prepare for regionals, the boys said they practice a lot by working on routines and skills.
Jonathan Menevy said, “I think it’s the nervousness, the anxiousness all mixed up that just makes you feel really good and excited and you just want to show yourself off. It feels pretty great, just knowing that this is what you’ve worked up to and you finally accomplished it, it’s that feeling that knowing that you’re actually accomplishing things in what you’re practicing.”
Caedmon Cox said he gets nervous when he thinks about the upcoming competition: “When I think about it, I try and think of things that make me less nervous and anxious about it.”
Chris Park has competed for the past six years and qualified for regionals three times. He said most of it is mental work. Chris said, in an effort to calm his nerves, he thinks of it like any other meet.
James Morrison said he likes gymnastics because although he feels nervous before the meets, he feels great afterwards.
The regional competition involves five states: Montana, Washington, Hawaii, Idaho and Alaska.
It takes place this weekend in Everett, Washington.
Jonathan, James, Chris and Caedmon are four out of nine gymnasts to qualify in Montana for regionals.
