Gymnastics MVP: Lacey Hartman, Bethel Park
Lacey Hartman’s bid for a state championship medal in gymnastics nearly ended before the competition started.
During warmups, she injured her shoulder. She was doing a back handspring on the balance beam when something went awry. Though she partially dislocated her shoulder, Hartman shouldered on. Her persistence paid off as she collected a bundle of awards.
Hartman placed third in the all-around and added top 8 or better showings in three disciplines.
“I was very happy and surprised,” Hartman said of her performance. “I was not expecting to place because there was a lot of tough competition from all over the state and I was not familiar with most of the competitors.”
Hartman, herself, was an unfamiliar face on the scholastic stage because she was only a freshman at Bethel Park High School.
After growing “tired” of competitive dance, Hartman started competing in gymnastics eight years ago. She trains under Jodi Cummings at the Premier Gym and Cheer facility located on Clairton Boulevard in Whitehall. She spends at least three hours at the gym five days a week. Her favorite apparatus is bars because she likes to do different skills.
Hartman performed a variety of new routines during the state championships. She just missed placing on vault but scored an 8.7 on her half-on, half full-off maneuver. She scored eighth place on the bars and took third on the balance beam before battling her way to a first-place finish on the floor exercise.
During the WPIAL Championships, Hartman nailed her performances. She grabbed the bronze medal for the all-around in the Intermediate II Division with a 33.3 score. She was one-tenth away from a silver-medal finish. Central Valley’s Sydney Slater took that place with a 33.4 score while Moon’s Lila Van Arsdale claimed the gold with a 34.125.
Individually, Hartman stuck her landing and finished fourth in vault with an 8.7 score. She added fifth on floor with an 8.4 mark. She was ninth on beam (8.1750 and on bars (8.025).
During the offseason, Hartman competes with the University of Pittsburgh diving club.
Gymnastics, however, remains her primary focus. Hartman plans to compete in the sport in college.
Athleticism runs in the family. The 14-year-old daughter of Dan and Kerrie Hartman has three other siblings. Her brother, Brandon, 21, wrestled and played football at Bethel Park before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. Another brother, Landon, is currently a member of the wrestling squad at BP. He’s also a football player. Younger sister Macey is also a gymnast.