Meet the Gopher Women's Gymnastics Freshmen

The Minnesota women’s gymnastics team boasts four talented freshmen this season. Here’s your chance to get to know the team’s newcomers: Jade Beattie, Nouel Cason, Carmelina Carabajal, and Jackie Walkabout.

Their favorite things

Event to compete in:
JB: Floor
NC: Floor
CC: Floor
JW: Vault

Event to train on:
JB: Bars
NC: Beam
CC: Beam
JW: Beam

Magazine to read:
JB:Life & Style or In Touch
NC:Alternative Press or Vogue
CC: People
JW: I don’t read a lot of magazines, I read books

TV Show:
JB: Jeopardy, American Idol, Lost
NC: Aqua Teen Hunger Force, 12 Ounce Mouse
CC: Friends
JW: Friends

Food:
JB: Lo mein
NC:Pancakes, peanut butter, and Thai food
CC: Macaroni and cheese
JW:Sushi

Thing to do with free time:
JB:Dance
NC: Go to music concerts
CC: Watch movies
JW: Sing

If you could meet any famous person, who would you want to meet?
JB: Ken Jennings
NC: Pete Wentz
CC: Angelina Jolie
JW: Johnny Depp

When you were growing up, who was your hero?
JB: My parents
NC: My mom
CC: My parents
JW: My mom

What is your most prized possession?
JB: My computer
NC: My journal, I started it at the beginning of the year
CC: My family home in Albuquerque
JW: The things that help me keep in touch with my family, like my phone and my computer

What are you most proud of?
JB: Being a part of this team
NC: Getting to where I am after having to deal with a lot of difficult things over the last year. I’m also proud of my mom and the relationship we have.
CC: Making it onto a college gymnastics team at a big school like Minnesota
JW: Adapting well after moving so far away from home when I came to Minnesota

What was the main factor in deciding to come to Minnesota?
JB: The location, the school, the coaches, and the team
NC: The fashion design program, and the location
CC: The coaches and team
JW: The coaches and team

Has your college experience been what you expected?
JB: I didn’t have a lot of expectations coming in, and that has made my adjustment easier.
NC: It’s different than I thought it would be, but not necessarily in a bad way. There really is a big regional difference, the people here are different, have a different sense of humor, things like that. It takes some getting used to.
CC: My experience so far is better than I ever expected. I thought I would be really homesick, but I’ve only been a little homesick. Being a part of this team is just so amazing.
JW: My experience so far has been all I expected and more. I’m meeting so many new people, it’s great.

How are you surviving your first Minnesota winter?
JB: Minnesota isn’t too different from North Dakota, so I didn’t have a huge adjustment.
It’s warmer and wetter in the Twin Cities than in Bismarck.
NC: Before coming here, I thought Reno was cold! I went back over Christmas break, and realized that I had been such a baby before. CC: Coming here, I was horrified at the thought of a Minnesota winter, but it’s not that bad. It doesn’t make that much of a difference, you just learn to adjust.
JW: It’s better than I thought it would be. I had to buy my first winter jacket, and warm clothes. When I went home to Hilo at Christmas, I was sweating at home. You get used to the weather.

What has been the biggest adjustment from club or high school gymnastics?
JB:Spending more time in the gym. In high school, I only spent 10 hours in the gym each week, and we practice a lot more than that here.
NC: Everything has been a big adjustment. Now I have to make routines in practice, not just throw it together at a competition and make it work.
CC: The team aspect of college gymnastics, we’re not competing as individuals anymore. That, and having a guys’ gymnastics team here, it’s great to have the guys’ team around. They’re like our older brothers.
JW:Yeah, I like having the guys’ team around, too, they are a great support system for us because they understand what we do. Also, the intensity is a lot different here than in club gymnastics.
NC: I agree about having the guys’ team here, it’s so cool, they’re the best!

What was the best part of your first road trip as a Gopher?
JB: The adventure, and the pizza. Getting to Chicago was a long process with all our flight delays, but the adventure was fun.
NC: I love Chicago, it’s one of my favorite places. My favorite musical artist, Pete Wentz, is from Chicago. The craziness of getting to Chicago was actually funny to me, other than being really hungry because we didn’t get dinner until 1 a.m.
CC: The best part for me was winning the meet after all the problems we had getting to Chicago. I loved the art museum, too. The Minnesota women’s gymnastics team boasts four talented freshmen this season. Here’s your chance to get to know the team’s newcomers: Jade Beattie, Nouel Cason, Carmelina Carabajal, and Jackie Walkabout.