Meet the Cyclone Gymnasts: Sammie Pearsall

AMES, Iowa - A strong support system and a passion for gymnastics are what keep Sammie Pearsall working hard toward her goals. Even when she's facing challenges and injuries, the junior pushes herself to keep going. The La Grange, Illinois native says that it's all worth it in the end, “Even when it feel like there are more bad days than good days, the good days make you feel unlike anything else.”

Pearsall started gymnastics when she was three years old, following in the footsteps of her older siblings. Her two older sisters and her older brother all practiced gymnastics when they were young. One of her sisters even continued on to compete in collegiate gymnastics at Cornell University.

“I'd say my sister, Maddie, who went to Cornell, was my biggest role model in the gym,” Pearsall said. “I really looked up to her. It was the happiest day of my life when I moved up to team and got to train with her and go to practice with her. She's the hardest worked I've ever met inside the gym.”

Outside the gym, Pearsall could count on her mom to be her biggest supporter. She was always there throughout her gymnastics career, helping her get to practices and coming to her meets. Pearsall says that her mom has been to almost every meet she's ever competed in, missing only one of her college meets and two or three of her club meets.

Before coming to ISU, Pearsall competed for 12 years at the Illinois Gymnastics Institute under Todd Gardiner. She qualified for the Junior Olympic National Championships twice in her club career, and tied for first place on beam at the 2011 meet. She also tied for seventh on bars at the JO Nationals in 2010 and 2011 and placed sixth all-around at the meet in 2011. In her 2011 season, Pearsall placed second on beam at state and regional competitions, and placed third on bars and fourth all-around at the regional championship.

When she's competing, Pearsall does her best to focus on her routines, “The thing about competition you have to remember is that just because there are a lot of people watching you, it doesn't change anything. The equipment is always regulation, nothing changes at competition. I remind myself that before every event.”

Sammie Pearsall made an impressive start in Cyclone gymnastics during the 2013 season. She competed at every meet of her freshman season, on both floor and beam. She tied for the second highest ISU beam score of the season with a 9.875, earning her the Mari-Rae Outstanding Gymnast Award against Minnesota. Pearsall also earned the team's Outstanding Freshman Award for the season and was a Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Role recipient.

After sitting out the majority of the 2014 season due to injuries, Pearsall came out strong in the first home meet of the 2015 season. At the Beauty and the Beast meet against Oregon State and Southeast Missouri, the junior tied the school record on beam. She earned a 9.950 to record her career high and helped the team to their highest beam score and overall score of the season. This performance also earned her the Big 12 Event Specialist of the Week, making her one of two Cyclone gymnasts to earn Big 12 weekly honors this season.

Pearsall wasn't expecting to tie the school record that day, “I was excited to just be able to compete and enjoy myself. That was my first time being in the line ups since freshman year. I remember in the few seconds before I saluted, I was just really excited to be able to compete for this team again. The routine just came really naturally.”

It's clear from that record-tying routine and from Pearsall's many other accomplishments that focusing on the good days is working out for her. As long as she keeps this optimistic attitude and keeps working hard to reach her goals, Sammie Pearsall is sure to be a strong competitor for ISU into the next season.