Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.Nebraska gymnast Jessie DeZiel finally is finding out how it feels to be a college student.
On Wednesday, that meant mixing up some cheese in her biology lab.
"It was pretty good, actually,'' she said.
Although she lived in Lincoln, DeZiel took online classes last fall because of her busy schedule while competing for the U.S. national team in the Pan American Games. She was gone about four weeks at camps and the event in Mexico.
Adjusting to being away from home, keeping up with her classes and then traveling with the team was sometimes crazy, DeZiel said. But it was capped with a team gold medal, an experience she said she'll never forget.
Part of the experience was being on the same floor with teammates such as former Olympic medalist Shawn Johnson, someone she's followed throughout her gymnastics career.
"It was a big accomplishment for me and a dream come true,'' DeZiel said.
Those big moments keep coming now that she's started competing for the fourth-ranked Huskers.
She won the all-around title against Denver with a score of 39.575 in her first competition, the best debut in school history. Last weekend, she placed a close second to teammate Lora Evenstad in a meet with Iowa State. NU will host Missouri at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Devaney Center.
The Big Ten chose DeZiel as its gymnast of the week and freshman of the week after her victory. This week, she was picked as the freshman of the week, and Evenstad was the gymnast of the week.
The early success is no surprise to Husker coach Dan Kendig. DeZiel won two national titles for the Twin City Twisters and isn't the first Husker to come from the Minnesota club. Past NU gymnasts Gina Bruce and Jess Swift competed for coach Mike Hunger, and current Husker Kassandra Nathe is from the same club.
"She's a very, very talented gymnast. I expected her to hit her routines,'' Kendig said. "To step on the scene and make an impact this quick nationally, I'm very pleased.''
Like most gymnasts, Kendig said, DeZiel is a perfectionist, but she also loves competing and is very confident is her skills, which she has been developing since age 3.
"By being confident, she competes well,'' he said. "She expects to hit, and I think that's the key.''
DeZiel said she was a little scared her first time out because she didn't know what to expect. But once she hit the floor, those nerves vanished. She didn't realize that she was the all-around winner until her name was announced at the end of the competition.
"I was really happy and a little surprised,'' said DeZiel, whose parents were there to see her win. "Winning for myself and for my team was all really exciting.''
Team is everything for DeZiel. The Huskers are becoming a family, especially after her older teammates helped DeZiel get around when the team came back from Christmas break early to practice.
They've helped her adjust to a different way of practicing (fewer repetitions to save their bodies) and lifting weights for the first time. All of her goals now revolve around them.
"I want to keep climbing the hill at a steady pace and at the end of the year be at my peak,'' she said. "We want to be national champions, and I will keep climbing the hill with them.''
Kendig said DeZiel is very humble despite her early success. He said she still has some things to work on, such as her showmanship. He doesn't think that will be difficult for a gymnast who he said can light up a room with her smile.
"In college, it's more of a performance, and she'll grow into that,'' he said. "When she picks that up, boy, is she going to be something.''
Contact the writer:
402-444-1034, marjie.ducey@owh.com
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