Nervig Knows Her Role
4/6/2002 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
April 6, 2002
Andrea Nervig knows where she's going. The sophmore Missouri gymnast has been a member of the team for two years now and has had her share of ups and downs, but has always dedicated herself to providing strength and consistency for the Tigers.
Nervig, a Colorado Springs, Colo., native, came to Mizzou as an all-around competitor with high hopes for her career and her team. Though she feels she has succeeded a great deal, this season has been above and beyond what she could ever have hoped for.
"I feel really good about everything that's gone on," Nervig said. "It's awesome to go from last season when 195 was one of those things we were reaching for, to this year where we get it easily."
Nervig specializes in vault, floor and bars for the Tigers, providing intensity and high marks to help her team achieve that 195 that they're so proud of. Known for her muscular build and power in competition, Nervig averaged a 9.844 on bars this season and a 9.700 on floor. She sees those scores, however, not as personal successes, but as her responsibility to her teammates.
"When I started on floor this year I wasn't consistent," she said. "But I want to make that consistency so I can be the person that will compete for our team and make those high scores. I like helping out the team."
The Tigers as a team have put up some high marks this season, not only surpassing the team total for a single meet in school history, but doing so four times. The current record stands at 195.575, a score the team earned at the March 17th meet against Iowa State. Nervig credits her coaches for the transformation that the team has undergone this season and is thankful for the addition of new Coach Paul Scardina.
"Paul has helped so much this year," Nervig said. "We had our troubles last year and he came in and wouldn't let those things happen again. He's influenced a lot of us to work harder for what all three of the coaches know that we can achieve."
The determination of the Tiger squad has paid off as they visit Denver, Colo., for the NCAA North Central Regional competition. Nervig knows that each individual on the team has done their part to help the team gain the success that it has. She sees her role on the team as a clearly defined one both in and out of the competitive arena.
"You have people who have down days and I feel like I'm someone there to help out," she said. "I can't say that I'm a leader, because everyone is a leader in their own way. I try to be a leader, but it's all of us together. We're all leaders."
It was perseverance, not leadership, however, that has earned the Tigers a #23 national ranking. Nervig said she expected nothing less from her team and is proud of their accomplishments.
"Making it to regionals was one of our goals and halfway through the season we knew that we'd make that so then we needed something higher," she said. "Going to nationals is a big goal for us, so we're going to see what we can do this season."
Nationals is not out of the reach of the Missouri Tigers, or of Nervig herself. A strong individual competitor, she is ranked seventh in the South Central region on the uneven bars and 42nd in the country.
This success, however, has not come without a cost for Nervig, who has had her share of mountains to climb. Stepping down from all-around competition was a hard transition for her to make and she hopes to be able to once again tackle the balance beam next season.
"When I look at my scores this year on every event, especially the last three meets, and if I were to add a beam I'd have a pretty good all-around score," Nervig said. "It's hard going from doing all-around to only doing three events."
According to Nervig, her use of strength over flexibility on the beam and its effects on her other three events has been what has kept her out of competition. She said that she also has suffered from back sprains and spasms in the past and wants to be sure she can continue competing at the sport she loves.
During competition Nervig shines on the uneven bars. It's easy to tell that it is her favorite event to compete in and she describes her routine as clean, easy and consistent.
"I always want to throw in something else to make it more impressive," she said. "But I found out that you don't have to do that to make the scores you want, I found that out this year."
Impressive skills, however, are what Nervig loves most about the sport even if she may not get the chance to show that during competition.
"You always go through your ups and downs when you don't want to be there," she said. "But being able to do and experiment with certain skills keeps me in the gym. Keeping me going is just seeing what is next."
For the past 13 years Nervig has seen and conquered "what's next" and has allowed that history to shape her as an athlete. She admittedly had her troubled times, but used that challenge to mature and improve herself as a competitor. When her club coach in Colorado left the gym, Nervig was at first disheartened, but found hope in the coach's replacement.
"I used to be really crappy, I'll admit it," Nervig said. "We lost all our coaches, and a year later we got a new coach and he changed the whole gym around and changed me around. I fought with him for the first six months, but after that he made me a really good gymnast."
Nervig credits her coach with inspiring her and developing in her skills she never knew she possessed.
"He helped me through that and helped me know what my potential was as an athlete," she said. "Now I'm doing a lot of things I never thought I would imagine being able to do at first."
It's those "things" that have wowed not only the judges, but Tiger gymnastics fans as well. Next year Nervig anticipates nothing but improvement for her team and knows that her talent must also improve for her to stay in the lineup. She now says that her goal is to continually improve on and gain new skills to be able to be a competitor for the Tigers.
Looking back on where she's been has showed Andrea Nervig where she's going. As she and the Tiger gymnastics team compete in Denver, this weekend they know that no matter what scores they achieve there, their real team growth this season has been immeasurable.
"I think going from where we were so nervous and everything was so shaky to where we were having so much fun and were so excited is the biggest thing for me," Nervig said. "I think that's what stands out most is just the excitement we have about everything."
This excitement will no doubt add fuel to the fire as the Tigers look towards next season and the new challenges that await them.
