I didn’t do all I wanted last season so during the summer and fall I really pushed myself to live in the moment, be in the moment and focus more on what is going on now rather than what will happen. I think that really helped me. – University of Utah gymnast Samantha Partyka
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah gymnastics fans are seeing a different Samantha Partyka than from a year ago. The sophomore is having an outstanding season posting career bests on bars, beam and floor. She’s also going all-around for Utah, breaking into the bars lineup after classmate Kari Lee went down for the season due to injury. And she’s doing very well in the all-around, recording a 39.45 last week against UCLA.
But this season is very different from Partyka’s freshman effort that left both her and her coaches frustrated.
“I was disappointed with last season,” said Partyka. “Freshman year you come in, maybe shocked isn’t the right word, but the whole thing takes some getting used to. Everyone is different with that situation and how they handle it.”
The struggles were a combination of a lingering back injury and things just not clicking at the college level. The Texas native did claw her way into the vault lineup a season ago, which was not a small feat considering Utah had one of the best vault sets in the country. She even earned All-America honors on the event. But it still wasn’t what she expected for herself after a successful junior olympic career.
“I didn’t do all I wanted last season so during the summer and fall I really pushed myself to live in the moment, be in the moment and focus more on what is going on now rather than what will happen. I think that really helped me,” said Partyka.
“Sam is one who cares so much about living up to expectations and she sets high standards for herself,” said Utah co-head coach Megan Marsden. “She’s highly driven, so when she wasn’t living up to her or our expectations, she wasn’t a happy camper.”
But Marsden is quick to credit Partyka for the turnaround, noting teammate Baely Rowe went through a similar transition from her freshman to sophomore season. The junior Rowe is now one of the Red Rocks’ best and most consistent performers with Partyka following suit.
“I think we are finding out how talented this gymnast (Partyka) is,” said Marsden. “We still have to keep working on helping her show more personality on the competitive floor because she’s very serious – gymnastics is her job. We are trying to get her to smile more because when she puts on her smile, it lights up her face.”
Losing the all business face in favor of a smile may be coming slower for Partyka, but what’s evident is the sophomore is breaking out of her shell. She’s talking more freely with the media, laughing more at practice and working on not putting so much pressure on herself. She’s picked a college major, elementary education, and is enjoying the college experience more and more every day.
All of these things are nice complements to her performance on the floor, which includes hitting all 17 of her routines this season. The “cool and confident” performer as Marsden calls her is also holding her own in the lineups despite being moved around. She’s currently leading off both bars and beam, while anchoring floor. She made good on her first anchor effort, hitting a 9.975. The 9.975 meant a 10.0 from one judge, which left Partyka with a lot of reasons to smile.
Partyka facts
Has hit 26-26 routines at Utah. Averaged 9.875 on vault in nine starts last season to earn second-team All-America honors. NACGC Scholar All-American in 2015. Prior to Utah was a three-time junior olympic national champion. Loves listening to music.
Up next
Partyka and the sixth ranked Red Rocks (4-1, 2-1 Pac-12) host Washington (3-4, 2-1 Pac-12) on Saturday at 7 p.m. The meet will be aired on the Pac-12 networks.