Freshman gymnast Baleigh Garcia continues to light MSU gymnastics on fire in only her first few weeks of competition.
After winning the all-around and beam events in her first collegiate meet, Garcia received the award of Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
Not only has she started strong, but Garcia is also MSU's first freshman in 11 years to win the award.
“Being Big Ten Freshman of the Week after my first meet was something that showed me how hard I’ve worked,” Garcia said. "It was also really surprising because I know how many girls are up for that."
Garcia attributes a lot of her success right out the gate to her teammate, senior Lea Mitchell, who has been a mentor to Garcia since they were kids competing at the same gym.
Garcia says her relationship with Mitchell prior to being at MSU really helped her figure out the mindset of college, as well as how to come in and step up in places MSU lacked in previous seasons.
“She’s already had a big influence on my life,” Garcia said.
Even after a stellar first performance and winning Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Garcia acknowledges that there is always room to improve and work to be done.
The floor routine, one of the few events she didn’t dominate, is where Garcia said she looks to be more outgoing in their next meet.
“On the beam, I would love to get a 10, which is my goal for this season,” Garcia said.
A freshman this young already aiming for 10s could be a scary sight for the rest of the Big Ten gymnastics teams.
Garcia is young, but carries herself and performs like a seasoned veteran, and she knows that this quick success is just the beginning of her journey.
“It’ll put me on a high horse, but I can’t let it get to my head,” Garcia said.
Garcia looks to continue her hot start to the year as MSU heads to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State on Feb. 7.
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