Meagan Nelson Shines In Freshman Year

It's safe to say that freshman gymnast Meagan Nelson is having a year she won't want to forget.

At a time when most college freshman are trying to figure out what pizza place is the best in town, Meagan Nelson has dealt with the additional pressures of becoming an instant part of Utah State gymnastics history.

Nelson wasted no time stepping into the history books. In her first meet as an Aggie she became the first freshman in USU history to record a 39.175 in her all-around debut. Nelson didn't stop there. In fact, she has since recorded at least a 39.000 all-around score in each of her first three meets, also a USU record.

Nelson's instant success may come as a surprise to some, but head gymnastics coach Ray Corn and his staff knew Nelson was going to be special.

"A lot of people consider their recruits diamonds in the rough," said Corn. "We didn't consider her as such. We just knew she was a diamond. Now when she was going to explode, we didn't know."

Nelson's success has even been somewhat of a surprise to her. She wasn't sure what it would be like jumping from the club level into college.

"Coming in I didn't have any expectations, you can't," said Nelson. "Judging is completely different and the sport basically changes from the club level to college. I just kept everything open. Now I just want to keep improving, that's all I can hope for."

Nelson's success has been accompanied by a host of media wanting to tell her story. This happens when you are the only all-arounder ranked among the top 25 (#23) who is not on a top-20 team and just one of two in the top 40 not on a top-25 team. The rush of publicity has taken some getting used to.

"In club [gymnastics] you don't really get any publicity. This is the first step into it, and its been a huge step," she said.

Through all her new-found fame, Nelson has stayed focused and looked forward to going against No. 4 Utah.

"I have one main goal against Utah, staying consistent," said Nelson. "Of course I would like to win, but if you are consistent in all your events, you can't ask for anything more."

One event Nelson would like to be more consistent on is the bars.

"Bars is the hardest event for me to do," said Nelson. "I'm just not naturally talented on them. I try to muscle a lot of the skills instead of just swing. The concept of 'just swing' hasn't sunk in yet."

Just as a good pitcher relies on his best pitch when the game is on the line, Nelson relies on her floor exercise performance. Not only is it her favorite event, but it is also her strongest. In her first three meets this year she is averaging a 9.900 on floor. Against Boise State, she recorded a 9.950, tying the second-best floor score in USU history.

"Floor is great because you tumble, dance and don't have to focus on one thing," she said. "You don't have to be dead-set, 'here we go.' You can really play to the crowd and have fun."

Although she was hampered by strep throat the week the Aggies met Utah, Corn didn't doubt for a second Nelson's readiness.

"To tell you the truth, she is such a voracious competitor that I don't think it's going to matter to her," said Corn. "Whether it's the 94th-ranked team in the country, or the No. 4 team, it doesn't matter. Meagan will be Meagan."

As long as Meagan continues to be Meagan, you can expect that this diamond of a gymnast will continue as a bright spot in USU gymnastics history, giving all Aggie fans a year they won't forget.

By Todd P. Johnson, Athletic Media Relations Student Assistant