Raising the bar: Charlo boy earns first all around in gymnastics meets
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CHARLO – Charlo youngster Mason McNeel is making himself known in the gymnastics community. At just 11 years of age, he has already been awarded the highest level of achievement in juvenile gymnastics. He placed first all around, something many young gymnasts never achieve, in all three of his last three competitions in Bozeman, Helena, and Coeur d’Alene.
“It’s a big honor,” Ann Marie McNeel, Mason’s mother said. “The judges pick one person among all levels who competed the best to give the award.”
Mason is a level-five competitor, but expects to move to level six to finish off the season. Each level adds new requirements for techniques, and increased difficulty. The maximum level a gymnast can achieve before secondary education is ten.
“In a way, level six will be like starting over because there are some pretty big tricks I need to learn,” Mason said, “It’ll take awhile to get really good at them.”
He competes in all six events in boys’ gymnastics: floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and high bar, but his best event is high bar.
According to Ann, Mason had a slow start to level five, where he competed only three weeks after undergoing an appendectomy. Yet in those three weeks, he went on to finish fifth at last year’s state competition.
Mason travels to Missoula four days a week to practice, putting in three hours at each visit. He’s been making the trip for so long its become part of his daily routine, Ann said.
Mason has the advantage of training with accomplished gymnast and coach David Stark, who is the owner of Bitterroot Gymnastics. Mason also works with two level-ten gymnasts, learning valuable techniques and information from them.
Ann admits that the family has had to make a big commitment so that their children Mason and Aynslee could compete in gymnastics.
“It’s a big time obligation,” she said. “(But), driving down to Missoula has become a normal routine over the years.”
She says that the hour-long drive in the car has become special to her and her children.
“It’s really nice one-on-one time with my kids.”
She admits that the commitment does have its drawbacks. Spending so much time in Missoula takes away from Mason’s involvement in Charlo.
“Mason has two sets of friends, those in Missoula who do gymnastics, and those in Charlo who don’t,” Ann said.
Ann believes that through gymnastics her children have become more aware of their bodies and balance, which puts her mind at ease when they are running around their Charlo farm.
“I see them out walking on the fence,” Ann said, “(And) I take comfort in how aware they are of their self in space.”
“We started Mason in gymnastics to get him physically involved,” she said. “His gymnastics have been a benefit to his other activities.”
Activities such as the Cal Ripken baseball league Mason plays on.
According to Ann, gymnastics has improved her son’s physical ability tremendously.
Mason’s sister Aynslee also participates in gymnastics and is a member of the Bitterroot Gymnastics’ acro-performance team.
Ann says that she loves how supportive the coaches have been of her children. Most of the coaches are college-aged, who achieved level ten while they were in high school.
“The coaches and gymnasts have camaraderie between them,” Ann said. “It’s not about who is stronger than who, it’s about who you are and what you do. Gymnastics is all about personal goals.”
Mason’s goal is to reach level ten before college. At level five by age 11, he seems to be well on his way.
