English is the attraction

There are certain athletes in every sport that are so good at what they do that it's worth the price of admission just to see them in action.

If you want to get you money's worth, make sure you see Fremd senior Keith English when he steps up to the run and stares down the vault at the state meet hosted by Barrington High School. He'll be competing on Saturday; the team finals are at 6:30 p.m. today.

English will take a step back to clear his mind before exploding forward. His next five seconds is like a shot of adrenaline as he blasts off into a twisting-and-turning adventure.

English's teammate and close friend Dante Digangi is very familiar with the spectacle. The junior described an English vault as "unnatural power and just beauty in the air" before adding a jaw-dropping tidbit.

"He never practices vault," said Digangi. "When he comes to the meet, that's all the vaulting he does. It's unbelievable."

English, who says he can count on one hand the number of times he's vaulted in practice this year, has been forced to curtail his vaulting repetitions because of the stress it puts on a bad ankle. He tore several ligaments last year and had off-season surgery.

"We have to be kind of careful with what he does, even on floor and especially on vault. The ankle just can't take it," said Fremd coach Tim Hamman. "It's kind of limited what he can do. Luckily, because of his experience, his body knows what to do."

English, whose muscular 5-foot-7 frame makes him look more like a wrestler than a gymnast, describes his vaults as simply running as hard as he can before letting of his body take over. He says the secret to his success is largely in muscle memory, which he has built up over several years of hard work.

As a junior, English used his raw power to earn a 9.3, good for sixth place at state. This year, he has broken his own school record several times, culminating in a 9.6 at Mid-Suburban League meet, which he then matched the following week at the Palatine sectional.

While English would love to break that mark tomorrow, he is hopeful that the school record will soon be in Digangi's hands.

"He told me he'll be disappointed if I don't break it by next year," said Digangi.

While that doesn't sound like a typical teenage attitude, English appears to be genuine.

"I actually really want him to," English said. "He's honestly just a better gymnast. He has that innate sense of everything in him. He came to the gym better and he works his butt off. So he deserves it more than I do."

That selfless attitude epitomizes what English brings to Fremd every day. One of only two seniors on the team, English says he tries to lead by example.

Hamman, in his first year leading the Vikings, cited English's positive example and attitude as a big help in his transition.

"'I think he brings a sense of quality gymnastics," said Hamman. "He makes the gym fun and that's definitely a big thing. He knows when to lighten the mood when it needs to be lightened.

"I was fortunate to come into this situation at Fremd and have a gymnast like Keith there. He's helped out and has that ability that the other kids could see and strive for."

Digangi said credits English for making him the gymnast he is today and said English's positive attitude is always a huge boost to the team.

"He's a really funny guy," Digangi said. "Whenever he's around the gym, everybody is always smiling."

English's bubbly demeanor isn't limited to practice. Watch him at any meet and you'll see his broad smile constantly peaking out from under his shaggy brown hair while he cheers on his teammates and competitors alike.

"I just have fun cheering on teams, giving hugs and high fives," English said. "It's awesome. I love it."

With only one final gymnastics meet left in English's high school career, he is hopeful that if the younger kids have learned anything from him it is to simply enjoy themselves.

"In gymnastics, we're all just a bunch of friends having fun and almost killing ourselves every day," English said. "If there is one thing I could tell the freshmen, it's just 'have fun.' "