Gymnast claims second WAC honor

Sam Bryer

Utah Statesman: What do individual awards mean to you?

Jessica Parenti-Otte: They’re nice, especially for the school. It’s nice. I don’t get any plaques or awards but it’s nice to be recognized for your work.

US: Individually, how do you feel the season has gone for you?

JP: It’s all right. It’s going to be a long season. I’ll have to pace myself a little bit and I need more improvement on the Beam.

US: What are some of your goals for the season?

JP: To be consistent, and whenever I’m competing that my score will go towards the team total.

US: Does the fact that you’re a senior change the way you go out and compete?

JP: You can’t really look at it like it’s my last home meet or the last time I compete against this team. At the very end of the season though it will be sad. It will be very sad.

US: What do you feel is your strongest event?

JP: Bars. I think the bars.

US: If any, what are some challenges to being a student athlete?

JP: Time, trying to find enough time for everything. Managing your time, you don’t want to be given a special privilege because you’re an athlete but sometimes you wish they would. Like the test that I have tomorrow, I was busy doing team stuff all day and wish that it could be changed to Monday.

US: I understand you recently got married?

JP: I did.

US: Has being married affected the way you train and how you approach the season?

JP: No, absolutely not. I have to do the same amount of training whether I’m single or married. My husband is on the golf team so we are both on the road a lot.

US: Do you see gymnastics in your future after school?

JP: If it is I would like to coach. I wouldn’t mind coaching at the college level.

-samabry@cc.usu.edu