Stepping up to the challenge
To Jessenia Abrego, gymnastics comes easy.
The 4-foot-11 senior from Las Vegas, Nev., earned first-team all-conference honors this season on vault, tying for third; on floor, tying for second; and in the all-around competition.
Her 9.850 on vault and 9.925 on floor tie her for the fourth all-time marks in Utah State University history. She also holds the 10th best all-around score (39.250).
Academics, on the other hand, are something she struggles with.
Abrego came to USU five years ago as a Proposition 48 athlete, Aggie Head Coach Ray Corn said.
Corn said being a Proposition 48 athlete meant she did not fulfill graduation and SAT score requirements in order to compete immediately.
Because of this, Abrego sat out her first year at USU and paid for her own education.
“Gymnastics motivates me and school really doesn’t,” Abrego said. “It’s been really hard for me here at Utah State. There’s been tons of times when I just wanted to give up, because school was so hard for me.”
She said with the help of her teammates and coaches she never gave up.
Upon graduation in the fall, Abrego will be the first member of her family to complete a college education.
“It’s a lot of pressure,” Abrego said. “I really want to [graduate] for my family and for myself. I know my parents will be so proud once I do graduate from college.”
Not only was Abrego lacking in the academic department, she came into the program with an injured knee she was rehabilitating from a torn ACL, Corn said.
In her first year at USU, Abrego primarily competed on vault and bars.
Then came another bombshell.
During her second year of competition, she injured her other knee and tore the ACL.
“All the way around, Jessenia’s career here at Utah State has had very high watermarks and very low watermarks,” Corn said. “This last year was just an absolute brilliant year for her.”
It was a good thing for the Aggies Abrego came through in her senior year, Corn said.
Prior to the start of the 2002 season, Utah State was forced to deal with the loss of all-arounder Tina Ellis. The team needed someone to step up.
Abrego did.
“I’ve always just been wanting to lead the team,” she said. “I think being an all-arounder is definitely like being a leader. I love it and it comes naturally to me.”
After competing on floor, vault and bars, she was ready to add beam to the routine.
Although she had always trained on beam, Corn said Abrego was not successful in exhibition competitions.
Following the 2000 season, Abrego began working on beam and eventually the coaches saw her improvement, Corn said.
“Once she got in there, knowing Jessenia, I knew she would never turn loose of it,” Corn said. “It was a tremendous blessing considering the things we have gone through this year as a team.”
After an up and down season, Utah State advanced to the North Central Regional meet in Denver, finishing sixth.
Abrego led the Aggies to start the meet on vault, posting a 9.775.
“When I first came up here I never thought I would compete on beam,” Abrego said. “It was always my dream.”
She said she was strong on beam before being in the all-around but never consistent.
To Abrego, it was an appropriate way to close out her career at Utah State.
There is one thing Abrego knows for sure
“I miss [gymnastics] already,” she said.