By Andrew Petropulos
The Springfield College men’s gymnastics team faces some of the most impressive and elite competition out of any varsity sports program on campus. The team has had frequent meets against schools such as the University of Michigan, the U.S. Air Force Academy and West Point. This year, most meets have been hosted outside of the New England niche that most of our sports teams compete in, such as the Navy Open in Maryland, a Greenfield dual meet in Illinois, and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championships in Iowa. This competition level provides a noticeable adjustment for incoming first-year gymnasts.
First-year Cameron Rhymes, who competes in the pommel horse, steel rings, vault and high bar, joined this squad all the way from Illinois. Adjusting to the team training of any collegiate program can be taxing, especially for a team of the Pride’s gymnastic caliber.
“My body was in shock. Eating was different; I gained weight, lost weight. There’s a lot more focus on workouts. So it was a rough adjustment for a lot of people, me included, especially as a first year,” Rhymes said. “We compete against teams like Michigan, and my competition includes Olympians, like Fred Richard, for example. There’s a lot of mental pressure that comes with that. Of course, the training is hard, like in any sport, but it can be mentally taxing.”
The level of pressure associated with competing against the best collegiates in the world can induce mental stress, but Rhymes emphasizes the individual nature of the sport: “It’s all kind of the same field. The only variable that differs at meets is the judges. The equipment is relatively the same, all approved by USAG, which sanctions most of our meets. Everything is cleared by someone in USAG or the NCAA. The rules are set in stone.”
The opportunity to face these giants comes from the ECAC. The organization provides schools like Springfield College opportunities to attend more championship meets against diverse competition. The organization hosts a championship meet, the ECAC championships, every year.
“As a team, we took fourth out of six, which is actually better than we had been doing all year,” Rhymes said. “We beat a team we hadn’t before, William & Mary. We only missed one routine and had a few hiccups here and there, but overall, the team did really well. I couldn’t be more proud of everyone.”
Athletes come from a variety of diverse backgrounds to compete for the Pride. The first-year class features two gymnasts from Illinois, one from Texas and one from Stockholm, Sweden. “I wanted something different from home,” said Rhymes, “but I live in Illinois, which is a 16-hour drive, which is a lot of travel to and from home. When I got here, Coach Davis showed me around campus. I loved the campus, and he really made a good impression on me. He’s a genuinely cool person. He brought me in and explained what it’s all about. I went to a team practice and fell in love instantly. It’s all about positivity.”
Despite the challenges of greater athletic competition and opportunities, the Pride have consistently put high level-talent forward to remain competitive. This year, performances at the USAG national championships resulted in three Springfield College gymnasts receiving all-American honors, including Kaleb Palacio, Evan Reichert and Blaise Rousseau. The Pride are also the only Division III squad to attend the NCAA National Championships multiple times, and are eyeing a fifth straight appearance.
“It’s just the culture,” Rhymes said. We’re obviously a smaller school, and we can’t offer athletic scholarships. It really comes down to the talent we recruit and the culture within the team that pushes those kids to bring out the best in them, along with every other member of the team. Honestly, the coaches play a huge role, too. It’s really about the culture; it’s all about positive prosperity. That’s my favorite phrase: continuous upward drive, getting 1% better.”
Photo by Springfield Athletics