By GREG ALLEN
Amherst Regional High School and the University of Minnesota are separated by 1,325 miles — a 20-hour car ride, or, about a 2-hour flight. For Amherst Regional graduate Luke Aldrich, it was the perfect distance.
Aldrich enjoys having his legs perpendicular to his torso while using his upper-body strength to swing in circles, quickly lifting his hands off the beam so his legs can pass, and then placing them back on the beam. He enjoys swinging on bars, flipping, twisting and rotating his body rapidly before launching himself into a series of flips and sticking the landing.
Simply put, Aldrich is a gymnast. He shined at Tim Daggett Gold Medal Gymnastics in Agawam before taking that 1,325-mile journey to Minnesota to become a Division I athlete.
The sophomore isn’t the first member from Daggett Gymnastics to head to the Midwest. Golden Gopher senior Daniel DiBenedetto, of Vernon, Connecticut, was Aldrich’s club teammate. DiBenedetto had a hand in Aldrich landing in Minnesota.
“Gymnastics is a nation-wide hunt,” Minnesota coach Mike Burns said. “Being from the East Coast myself and having another guy from Daggett’s Gym led me to Luke. (DiBenedetto) said to me, ‘you know, this Luke guy is pretty good.’”
Aldrich left Daggett’s with a sparkling resume. He was the 2014 state champion in the all-around, pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars and high bar. He was the 2013 state champion in the high bar and still rings. He twice competed in the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics.
“Tim Daggett’s gave me a strong sense of leadership within my team,” Aldrich said. “I was one of the older kids among a lot of younger guys so helping them see what could come from a gymnastics career really helped shaped me.”
Adjusting to college can be difficult. It can take time getting used to being around new people, sharing bathrooms and eating dining hall food. For Aldrich, having his fellow Golden Gophers around made it easier.
“It wasn’t too hard to adjust because I had a team,” Aldrich said. “I was a part of a big class. There were nine other (freshmen) on the team going through the same thing as me. We would help each other out through difficult times, and we always had fun together.”
DiBenedetto helped Aldrich through the process and as former club teammates, the bond was already there.
DiBenedetto “is really good with the younger guys,” Burns said. “It’s tough, you know, buying into everything that comes with being a Division I athlete. If they stick with the program, they’re typically going to be pretty successful.”
Aldrich has been a mentor this season to freshman Shaun Herzog, of Manchester, Connecticut. Herzog also attended Tim Daggett Gymnastics.
“Luke has helped me adjust to college lifestyle in many ways,” Herzog said. “First of all, he welcomed me into the family of an amazing group of guys and made the transition from high school a breeze for me. He’s offered to help me with my academics if I ever needed, he’s shown me around campus and helped me come out of my shell.”
Aldrich has competed in three meets this season. On Jan. 17th he earned a score of 13.600 on floor at the Windy City Invitational. On Feb. 6th he scored a 12.550 on floor against Air Force. And on March 5th he scored a 14.700 on floor and a 13.400 on horse against UIC and the Minnesota club team.
Because the fourth-ranked Gophers have so much talent, it is tough to become a staple in the lineup.
“The competition is what really makes people good,” said Burns, whose team will compete in the Big Ten Championships in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday. “Everybody helps push the team to a higher level whether you’re consistently in the lineup or not. (Aldrich) is pushing hard, and the guys above him stay honest and work hard because Luke is climbing up their backs determined to get a spot. He has a good shot to become a staple in the lineup. He’s doing the right things in the gym, but it’s going to be a battle. He’s right on the verge.”
Aldrich misses his family and friends at times, but is happy to have created a new home at Minnesota. Being a part of the gymnastics team has really made him enjoy life as a Gopher.
“Not being home can be tough sometimes, but I have a strong family here,” Aldrich said. “It kind of makes it feel like this is my real home and when I go back to Mass., it’s like a vacation.”