BLOOMINGTON - There is a hidden gem among the great high school athletes of Bloomington-Normal, whose relative anonymity is vanishing faster than one can say Yurchenko.

Gymnast Taira Neal, a 17-year-old University High School senior, has announced she will accept a full scholarship from Michigan State University and sign a national letter of intent in November.

"I don't think Bloomington-Normal realizes what a great athlete they have in their own town," said Neal's coach for the past 13 years, Teresa Millmore of Gymnastics Etc.

Millmore said she is convinced Michigan State has pulled off a recruiting coup because Neal is capable of winning the NCAA vault title as a freshman.

"Every college that has come said she will win nationals on the vault," said Millmore, who has fielded recruiting calls about Neal for the past 18 months from almost all of the nation's top 30 college programs.

Neal, who has also received coaching from Gymnastics Etc.'s Brandon Kenisic the past year, posted a career-best vault score of 10.0 after performing a Yurchenko layout full. Her other lifetime bests are 9.725 on floor, 9.7 on bars and 9.6 on beam.

"She is a good all-arounder," Millmore said. "She's very strong, but also graceful."

Neal, whose first name is pronounced Tara, also visited Missouri and was going to visit Alabama, but canceled after visiting Michigan State.

"I really liked the campus," she said. "I met the girls. They seemed to love it and I liked them. The coaches were fun, too. They coach in the same style as Teresa."

That style combines a serious competitive approach with a healthy dose of fun. Coach Kathie Klages' Spartans ended last season ranked 17th nationally. Neal hopes to lead them to their first NCAA national meet.

"I feel very relieved (to have decided)," Neal said. "I was getting a little stressed. Now I can go through this year and have fun."

Neal won last year's Junior D division of Level 10 in the Junior Olympics Nationals at Cincinnati. In last May's national meet at Orlando, Fla., she dislocated both elbows. The eventual winner had lost to Neal several times.

Neal spent three weeks in casts and four weeks wearing braces.

"Not being able to use both of my arms was terrible," said Neal, who has returned to training.

Neal's parents, Demetria and Ernest, have another daughter on a full scholarship, Nicole, a McKendree College track sprinter.