Editor’s note: On Sunday, the Gymcats and senior Sarah Tomczyk took on ASU in Tempe. Tomczyk recorded a 9.90 on bars and 9.925 on vault, giving her two career highs. She won two events over the weekend and led the Gymcats in three. The Arizona Daily Wildcat sat down with Tomczyk to talk about being a senior, her favorite athlete, and her Jersey Shore nickname.
DW: Can you talk about your performance on Sunday?
ST: We started off on bars and it was a great routine for me personally, I felt like I hit a lot of handstands and a lot of my lines really well, better than other meets. I got a career high on bars so I was pretty excited about that and then went to vault and did probably the best vault of my career. Nailed it. I was real excited about that. I did a pretty dynamic floor routine and was excited. Then went to beam, I fell last week on beam, so it was really great just to get back in the mode of hitting, because I hit the first meet and then fell. It was great just to put a full meet together and hit all four events; that was my goal for the week.
Have you ever had a meet like this, where just all-around you did amazing?
I have never competed all-around; I competed all-around one time last year. It was a pretty solid meet but for the most part I have only competed three events, because beam has been my weaker event. I’ve had meets where I have hit my three events that I normally compete in extremely well, but never in all-around because I have never had the opportunity.
Being that this is your senior year was that extra special because it was against ASU?
It was extra special (laughs). It’s just special being on this team in general and just taking the win. Having only five girls up on certain events, knowing that we had to count every single score that went up, it was so awesome. Just that I was able to lead the team as a senior and just step up was great.
Did you get a lot of calls and texts from family this week to congratulate you?
Well yeah, my family is very proud, especially my dad. All my family is very proud I shouldn’t say just my dad, but he gets really into it. My sister was telling me he would not shut up basically (laughs). He just kept talking about it and my scores. He is just really proud and he always is.
Do you have any routines or superstitions that you do before a meet?
Not really before meets, but like before I compete. It’s not really a superstition; it’s more of just something I do. I always just look at one of my teammates and point up its like me doing my routine for God. So I do that before basically every event, and especially on floor. Me and Katie Matusik do that together, its just keeps my focus on performing for (God) and doing it all for his glory.
Other than gymnastics do you watch any other sports?
Not really, I mean I support all the sports on campus. Like I go to football games, I go to track meets, been to a swim meet, volleyball. So I really like other sports, but in terms of professional stuff I don’t really follow sports very much.
So who is your favorite athlete, either in gymnastics or in something else?
Favorite athlete ever? Oh gosh that’s a hard question. I really don’t have favorites. I really enjoyed watching Courtney Kupets at nationals last year, in gymnastics. She is like the most amazing all-arounder. She is just incredible to watch, and she did things like three days in a row. There is three days of competition, and she is just phenomenal. (Tomczyk’s dog, Bear, barks in agreement)
Do you ever feel old on this team? Half of the team is 18 or 19-years-old.
I do feel old (laughs). I feel really old. Well I just turned 23 in January. I feel old but my body doesn’t feel old, and I feel young in spirit. I feel like I fit in really well with the girls. They don’t look at me, I hope, as being too old to be around them. They always include me in stuff.
One of the editors always asks this question for athlete of the week, if you could date another athlete on campus who would it be?
Well I’m married so I don’t think I can answer that question (laughs) so I wouldn’t anyone date anyone else. If I was single I could probably answer that but since I’m not, my husband probably wouldn’t be too happy about that (laughs).
Yeah that might be a good idea. If you had to pick a Jersey Shore nickname, for yourself, what would it be?
A Jersey Shore?
You know the show on MTV.
The one with the Guidos (does fist pump)? (Laughs) that’s so funny because we call Aubree (Cristello) a Guido. I don’t know umm I don’t know (laughs). Something with my last name in it, so like Tom Girl because my last name is Tomczyk. (Laughs) That’s so lame.
