Lolo native Kaetlyn Tenesch forges rare journey as NCAA Division I gymnast from Montana (2024)

MISSOULA— Kaetlyn Tenesch set a high bar as a young gymnast and has vaulted herself to a rare college opportunity that has left her beaming.

The Lolo native will head to Brigham Young University later this month to begin her college gymnastics career. It's a monumental step as Tenesch is the first person from Roots Gymnastics & Dance in Missoula to sign with a college.

She is just the fifth gymnast from Montana since 2018 to go on to compete in college, according to the 406 MT Sports yearly recruiting tracker. She's only the third in that time who is going to compete at an NCAA Division I program.

"It's really cool and exciting to be able to say I've not like beaten the odds but I've persevered because it gets hard and lonely when there's not a ton of it around you," she said. "I'm grateful that I've pushed through and gotten here and accomplished a goal."

Not only is it uncommon for college gymnasts to come out of Montana. Landing a spot with a program can be difficult because of the scarcity.

The NCAA sponsors only 85 gymnastics programs across all divisions. Only 63 of those are classified as Division I teams.

Tenesch, a Level 10 gymnast who was the first Montanan in the national Talent Opportunity Program, kept the belief that she could reach those heights through hard work. She also credited a supportive family and dedicated coaches in her time at Roots and Mismo Gymnastics in Missoula.

"I've trained close to 30 hours a week for as long as I can remember," she said. "I've also done online school so I could fit in all of my training hours. My family sacrificed so much for it. It's just been something that I've poured everything into."

Tenesch's prospects took a hit her sophom*ore season. She underwent a Subchondroplasty Procedure to fill in a crack in a bone in her right ankle.

She had performed through the pain for years since injuring her ankle on vault when she was 9 years old. But the pain got to a point where she felt she couldn't perform her skills at a high level.

She missed that important season right before college coaches could begin reaching out during the summer heading into her junior year. It was the first time she sat out a full season of gymnastics.

"The recruiting process was probably one of the most defeating times in gymnastics," she said. "Since I had no scores up for that entire season, these coaches were like, 'Well, we don't know how you're going to come back from this injury.' They're picky with who they want."

Tenesch continued reaching out to coaches through email with the help of a recruiting specialist. She also attended camps where college scouts could see her return to the mat in person.

She had to ease her way back into competition, a new experience for her after going all-out since she started at 5 years old. She was laser-focused on her form and technique, which she felt helped her improve in both those areas.

She also had developed a new mindset in that time away. She went on to finish 18th in bars, 18th on beam and 28th all-around at the 2023 Women’s Development Program national championships to close her junior year.

"Watching and sitting out a full season was so hard," she said. "When you’re in a season, you're like, 'This meet is so stressful. I don't want to compete.' But then it really made me not take meets for granted.

"The next season, I was like, 'I don’t care if I'm nervous. It sucks to sit on the sidelines and watch your team.' You want to be doing it so bad. It made me appreciate being able to do gymnastics more."

Tenesch got several offers and chose BYU because of a combination of the teammates who made her feel comfortable, the high-level academics, the way the city reminded her of home and how it's not too far away from Montana.

She also felt it's a place where the coaches will push her to new heights in upgrading her skills. BYU competes in the Big 12 and took third place at the conference championships in March.

Tenesch was recruited for bars but will train all-around in hopes of competing in each of the four events. She's paved the way in earning that opportunity, showing younger kids in Missoula that college gymnastics is a possibility.

"It's weird because I never thought people would look up to me," she said. "My mom's like, 'Kaetlyn, make sure you're setting a good example. There's little girls who look up to you.' I never realized it. But definitely there's some girls that have cried that I'm leaving in two weeks. It's just so sweet to see."