Aggie gymnast Nelson named top Aggie
Utah Statesman: How do you feel after your first home meet?
Meagan Nelson: It was a lot of fun being in front of the home crowd. When you’re doing well [the fans] are right with you and when you are struggling they help pick you up.
US: You’ve started off your career at USU with a bang, do you think you can keep this momentum going?
MN: I really hope so. You can only hope to keep improving. All I’m going to do is compete as well as I can for every meet.
US: Why did you decide to come to Utah State?
MN: I really liked the girls and the coaches here. Their attitude was better than other schools. Also [USU] has physical therapy and elementary education programs here.
US: What is the transition like between club and collegiate gymnastics?
MN: There’s not a whole transition in terms of what you are doing, but it is a little different in how often you are doing it. In club you don’t have as many meets and they are more spread out. [In college] you have to get a little more adjusted to only the week recovery between meets. College is a lot more fun than club because you are competing for your team and not just for yourself.
US: How do you feel being in the media spotlight since you’ve been featured in newspapers and interviewed on the radio?
MN: It’s hard. It’s something you have to get used to. I’m getting better at it and more comfortable but you’re always a little weird your first couple of times.
US: When and why did you start doing in gymnastics?
MN: I started gymnastics when I was 11 or 12. I wasn’t supposed to go in — my sister had hip problems, she had hip surgery, and they thought it would be good for her to get stretched out with the flexibility in gymnastics. I actually got hooked to it then, and I just stuck with it because I loved it so much.
US: Do you have any pre-meet rituals?
MN: I always eat spaghetti the night before. Other than that I try to stay calm. I have little things I say before each event just to make me feel like I’m in the gym instead of in competition.
US: What other sports do you enjoy besides gymnastics?
MN: I like most other sports. I like the outdoors ones. My mom was a volleyball coach and my dad did track so I just really like them all.
US: Is there anyone on the team you’ve bonded with outside of gymnastics?
MN: All of us are pretty close. The freshmen are all really close, especially me and Ashley Young. She is my roommate and when we moved here we both had trouble right away with the homesickness. She was always the one I could talk to about things like that.
US: What is your favorite type of candy?
MN: Probably Snickers.
–juag@cc.usu.edu