The weekend ended in excitement for Illinois (9-12, 3-6) as it not only placed sixth at the Big Ten championships, but freshman Chloe Cho was awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Cho is only the third Illini gymnast ever to earn the title. Earlier last week, the Big Ten also named her to the All-Freshman team and the All-Big Ten first team.
After the successful weekend in Ann Arbor, here are Cho’s thoughts on her prestigious award and the Illini’s performance at the championship.
**The following interview has been edited for clarity.**
DI: What does being honored as Big Ten Freshman of the Year mean to you?
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Cho: Entering the Big Ten, I think this whole college experience has been so new and so different. There is so much fulfillment in so many different areas, especially in the bonds you build with your team. Going out and competing and representing something so much bigger than yourself with a program that has so much history is just an incredible experience. Then, feeling like not only did I move away from home and start this whole new part of my life, but I was able to solidify my place and contribute back to this University, has become an incredible part of my life.
What has contributed the most to your consistent performances throughout the season?
One of the biggest things is learning how to trust yourself completely. From the first day that I got onto campus, and even back in July, our head coach Nadalie (Walsh) started teaching us these ‘I Am’ statements and confidence words … It felt very different at first to say that out loud in front of the whole team, but once we started doing that, I realized that you really start believing those words when you speak them. It shuts out all the other doubt or negativity.
How have your teammates and coaches played a role in your success this season?
I think on days that are hard, having people remind me that this sport is full of imperfection and risk and you can’t be perfect every single day has helped me. I think one of my favorite things that the coaching staff reminds us is that we aren’t striving for perfection because perfection is impossible. But, we can strive for excellence in everything we do, and we carry ourselves in the way we approach the sport. Trying to be the most excellent version of yourself has helped all of us be proud of where we’re at, but also be hungry to keep getting better.
What did your preparation look like for the Big Ten championships last weekend?
We spent a good amount of time talking with each other in the gym about our goals. We had action items to help us succeed at Big Tens and also had a mentality shift of expecting to be great and deciding to be great. We were very in touch before every event. We went into each event setting a specific goal to reach, and that helped us not view each routine like such a big thing but rather breaking it up into one thing that you’re going to do well. It helped us translate to treating the competition like we treated practice.
How did your high scores against NIU boost your confidence before Big Tens?
For me personally, I think the way I view it is that I look at a routine and I try to think, ‘What did I do differently in that routine?’ and then I carry that with me because ultimately that’s what got me the score. It’s a little bit less about the score, which feels like such a reward, but I try to take with me, ‘This is what I focused on, and this is what helped me.’ It definitely builds confidence and encouragement in yourself.
What do you think were the main factors that led to Illinois’ successful sixth-place finish?
We have gotten to know each other better, especially because we have a really big freshmen class. We know each other in and out. We fully trust each other in every routine and we’re confident in each other. That started with learning how to be confident in ourselves because if I’m confident in me, then I know you’re gonna be confident in me, and the person behind me can trust me. It’s about building that up. It has been a beautiful process, and I feel like we have reached such a beautiful peak.
Where do you think the team still needs to improve before NCAA Regionals?
I think just continuing to dial in on technical things. Trying not to give away little deductions because they’re normal or we are used to those little deductions on one specific skill. I think really trying to iron out those last few things will make a big difference for us.
What are you most proud of from your team at Big Tens?
I’m proud of the environment we had together. I truly felt that was one of the most fun meets I have ever had. We immediately started with this energy that made us so proud of each other already for getting here so hungry. We knew we had so much to give, and we were so together. Watching every single person go, I was truly so happy for each person to perform well. I have seen how many hours and how many reps they have put into each one of these routines … I felt so grateful to be here and really wanted to treasure every single moment and appreciate every second I have with this team.
