Freshmen combo boost gymwomen

It was a baptism by fire of sorts for freshmen Ashley Wilson and Nikki Smith at Rec Hall on Saturday.

In front of a friendly Happy Valley crowd, the two competed in their first collegiate gymnastics meet against defending NCAA champion Alabama.

Wilson, a native of Gainesville, Ga., competed in all four events and exceeded a 9.3 in each one. Her highest tally was a 9.575 in the floor exercise. Shephard pointed to Wilson's work ethic as the key reason for her success.

"Ashley's always been a consistent worker," he said. "She has definitely earned her spot in the lineup."

Before the meet, Wilson said she was a little nervous but once the competition began the nerves calmed down.

"I needed to go in there and do the best I could," she said. "Once I got there and the team was behind me it wasn't that bad."

Performing in front of a crowd is nothing new for Wilson. She has been participating in gymnastics for the past 11 years. During her high school career, Wilson was named to the Junior Olympic National Team her junior year and also selected as a member of Team Atlanta 2000.

"I think Ashley is on the right track," he said. "If she sticks to it she will be a solid performer."

One key attribute Wilson possesses is being able to perform well under pressure. During competitions, she said, she could pull out good performances.

Smith had a rocky start on beam Saturday night but bounced back on bars and floor. After the meet, sophomore Missy Leopoldus applauded the effort Smith gave after the rough beam routine.

"Nikki's bars were great," she said. "We're really proud of her. She pulled it together when it counted."

Before the competition, Smith said she felt excited about competing before the crowd and going up against Alabama. Unlike Wilson, Smith did not feel the "butterflies in the stomach" prior to the meet.

"I wasn't too nervous. I was excited for my first competition," she said. "I was mostly concerned about hitting my routines for the team.

When she arrived on campus, Shephard knew Smith would make an immediate impact into the lineup. At Jurupa Valley High School in Mira Loma, Calif., Smith was the 1995 California State champion on vault and 1996 champion on uneven bars. She also was a Level 10 national qualifier in 1995 and 1996.

"We knew she was going to be a contributor right away," Shephard said.

He pointed out her biggest strengths are her gracefulness, great body line and skill line. The coach also saw a change over winter break that was significant in her overall attitude.

"She really made a commitment to the team as much as she could," Shephard said.

When the team came back from their two-week break they focused on putting themselves in meet situations and hitting their routines. Smith said she wanted to mentally prepare herself and go out and do the best she could.

During their short time at Penn State, both gymnasts have seen a wide difference in the style of collegiate and club gymnastics. The importance of the team is key in college gymnastics, according to them.

"I think the collegiate level is more exciting," Wilson said. "It is more of a team thing. You are doing it all for the team and working together."