University of Minnesota Athletics
Chalk Talk: Alex Wittenberg
3/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
What is your favorite thing about being a gymnast at the University of Minnesota?
My favorite thing about the team is the comradery we have and knowing as soon as my recruiting trip was over, I was going to be apart of a family. That's been proven ever since I've been here. Being in the gym every day, living with the guys in our team house and the relationships I've built on this team are going to last my whole life.
What do you feel when you put on the Minnesota uniform?
It's a pretty incredible feeling. I had the dream of becoming a college gymnast for as long as I can remember, so putting on that uniform for the first time freshman year was surreal.
What's one thing that you've worked hard on to improve this season?
I'd say the event I've focused on a ton is Vault. Last season, I wasn't even a contender when it came to Vault lineup and this year I feel like I'm getting stronger and stronger on the event.
What's your mindset like working on new skills each day in the gym?
Freshman year, my goals where to compete in every meet, compete at Big Tens and NCAAs and to letter. Thankfully, I achieved all of that. Over the summer, as I was training, I realized I didn't want to be a guy that's just one event, someone that's just a Floor specialist. I really wanted to evolve as a gymnast and get better on the other apparatuses. That's why I expanded from just competing on Floor to competing on Pommel and Vault. I've pushed myself every day to shed that label and that takes a lot of focus in the gym. But, I'd like to think that I've done a good job of succeeding with that thus far.
What goals did you have both individually and as a team for the season?
Individually, I wanted to compete on three events this season (Floor, Pommel Horse and Vault) and become a Big Ten finalist and an All-American on Floor. As a team, we want to be first at Big Tens and make it to that second day at NCAAs.
What's your favorite place to hangout on campus?
Other than the gymnastics house, which is where I usually am with the guys, maybe Coffman. I'll meet the guys for lunch when I have a half hour break between classes.
Do you have anything that you do personally on the day of competition?
Nothing super specific, normally I just watch my old videos - obsessively, probably way too many times. I just like to visualize.
You were voted Most Improved last season. What kind of things have you been focusing on with that label from last year?
It meant everything to receive that award from my team and my goals were just to make the lineup and be a consistent competitor. Frankly, I didn't come in as the top recruit, so I had to come into the gym and prove myself. I remember before my freshman year, I wanted to show the coaches what I was capable of and getting that award was the true testament of hard work paying off. Beyond that, I still feel I have a ton of improvement left to be satisfied. That was a great award to win, but I still have a long way to go.
How has it been moving to Minnesota from New York?
People have a bit of a misconception when they hear that you're from New York, because they instatnly think about New York City. Being from Buffalo and growing up in suburbia, it gave me an inclination to want to go into the city. Coming to Minneapolis has been such a great decision for me, beyond just the schooling I get here and the great team aspect. I can hop on a train, or ride my bike to get into the city or go to on a lake within minutes... I really appreciate everything the Twin Cities has to offer.
How did you get into gymnastics and what made you want to pursue competing at a collegiate level?
The story my parents tell me is that when my mom was in the hospital prior to having me, the '96 Olympics were on and they were really drawn to gymnastics. There was a gymnastics gym two blocks away from our house, so when I was two-years-old, we would bike to the parent-tot classes and I fell in love with it from there. That gym closed down when I was five, so I switched to the Greater Buffalo Gymnastics Center and stayed there through my high school graduation. Like in any sport, there were some tough times, but I stuck with gymnastics because it was unique - not that many people do it and I just had the inclination to work towards a higher goal within the sport.
