Jim miller/VIEWJeffrey Frantom, 11, works out on the pommel horse during a training session at Gymcats Gymnastics, May 3. Frantom was named all-around champion at Region 1 Championships in Honolulu.
Jim miller/VIEWJeffrey Frantom works out on the pommel horse while coach Justin Martin looks on. Martin said Frantom stands out due to his combination of strength, flexibility, agility and body awareness.
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This isn't the first time an elite athlete took several years to become a champion. Gymnast Jeffrey Frantom just decided to do it in his first 11.
A grade-schooler finishing up fifth grade at Kesterson Elementary, Jeff recently returned from the Region 1 Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii as the Level 7 all-around champion. His total score of 56.025 points was the highest out of 71 athletes, ages 10-12, from across Region 1, which includes Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and California.
After a strong first day of competition on April 10, Jeff qualified for five out of six event finals held at Honolulu's Blaisdell Arena, then proceeded to take first place on the pommel horse and high bar, second on the parallel bars, fourth on the rings and seventh in the vault.
His incredible results last month come after December's qualification for the prestigious junior national team. Jeff, who trains at Gymcats Gymnastics in Henderson, will travel to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., this summer to take part in the USA Gymnastics National Developmental Team.
"I think he's won every competition he was in this year," said his coach at Gymcats, Justin Martin. "As far as regionals go, this was maybe the biggest thing he's won, and he won by a lot. But making the junior national team is a big deal, too, because that basically means he's one of the top nine kids in his age group. He's very talented, but he also works very hard."
The image of a focused, dedicated athlete may not fit with an 11-year-old, but Jeff seems to be enjoying all aspects of his gymnastics career. He likes to travel for competitions and appreciates his time away from the gym.
"Other than competing (in Hawaii), the best part was probably taking a whole day and seeing the islands, and we went to this water park. It was kind of like Wet 'n Wild," he said.
Jeff has developed quickly in the last year, overcoming a hamstring injury to find success at the regional competition and maturing mentally, as well.
"This season I haven't been nervous," he said. "I think I have more confidence than in other years."
While he's been training at Gymcats since he was 4, he's been working with Martin for three years since the coach arrived. Martin's Future Stars program at Gymcats has been instrumental in helping exceptional youngsters like Jeff advance to new levels in the sport.
"This gym has had an Olympian (Tasha Schwikert) so there has been a lot of talent coming out, but for the boys' program here, he's one of the best," said Martin, a former junior Olympic and NCAA competitor. "I've coached some very talented gymnasts, but few were this good this young. There are tons of kids who excel, who have the combination of strength, flexibility, agility and body awareness. But he stands out."
In fact, Jeff is coming along so quickly that he'll be skipping Level 8 competition and moving right to Level 9.
"He could have competed at a higher level before, but the age restrictions held him back," Martin said.
Only time will tell how far Jeff will go -- "Hopefully the Olympics, maybe," he said -- but for now he's happy getting ready for summer, the junior national team, and sixth grade at White Middle School.
"You don't really know, at 11, because when kids get to be high school age there are many distractions. Sometimes they lose interest then," Martin said. "But if they consider they could possibly earn a college scholarship, it's worth the hard work."
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