University of Minnesota Athletics
In My Own Words: Lindsay Mable
5/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Recap the Gophers incredible 2016 season through the team's perspective.
By Lindsay Mable
This season has been a whirlwind and it seemed like I blinked and we were already at post-season. I think we had some great meets leading up to post-season that really helped to boost our confidence in ourselves and our potential as a group. The Big Ten Qualifier was at Penn State and was a great opportunity to showcase our routines on TV for the first time this season. It was a great competition and one of our best of the year! I'm not sure there was a more exciting way to start post-season than to be crowned the Big Ten Regular-Season champs! That competition made us more excited and ready for Big Tens.
Big Tens were held at Nebraska, which meant our second seven hour bus trip to Lincoln of the year. Knowing we had already done well in Lincoln once this season was encouraging for us. We had been on the equipment, felt the energy of the arena and had done our jobs once, so we were prepared to do it again. However, leading up to Big Tens, we had sickness going around the team and some girls were running on fumes. One of the most profound moments of the season to me was how everyone put aside what happened in the weeks leading up to Big Tens and showed up that day to do their job despite any sickness. We were united as a team and put it all out on the floor knowing that our next meet we got to be at home.
Hosting Regionals was a pretty special experience, especially because only six teams get that opportunity a year. Having the comfort of our own equipment and arena made for a feeling of "ease" as we walked into the Pav that day. I think we were all so ready to just "do what we know how to do"...and that's exactly what we did. After I fell on Floor, I felt my team behind me more than ever and they picked me up and kept me going. The endless support and love this team had all season was exemplified on Regionals day as we never stopped fighting. As a result of the hard work and unity we created this year, we reached our goal of qualifying to Nationals together and that is a moment I will never forget.
Nationals still seems surreal to me. I look back and reflect on the experience with my team and it seems like a dream. The weekend went by so fast! The weekend was unforgettable, simply because we made it there together. I am so incredibly proud to say I was part of a team full of committed and hard-working girls. We showed our love for the sport all year and reached our goals. I feel blessed that this was the season I got to go out on with people who I will love and be friends with for the rest of my life.
I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime.
Forever and always, GO GOPHS!
#AlwaysGolden
Players Mentioned
