SALT LAKE CITY — Expectations were high for Utah freshman Abby Paulson the moment she stepped onto the campus of the University of Utah this summer.
That is what happens when a highly decorated gymnast, at and beyond the Elite level, chooses to be a part of a program replete with a winning tradition, but also desperate to return to the top of the proverbial mountain.
“Abby is a stone cold hard worker, is extremely gifted, headstrong and was trained at the Elite level by great coaches. It is natural for her to step into this arena and thrive.” — Utah coach Tom Farden
Between Paulson and fellow freshmen Maile O’Keefe, Jillian Hoffman and Jaedyn Rucker — considered to be one of the top recruiting classes in college gymnastics — there was talk around the country of Utah contending for and winning a national championship, if not this year, then in the near future.
As a member of the 2017 USA Senior National Team and a five-year International Elite — for those unfamiliar with it, “the Elite Program is designed to provide competitive experiences for athletes aspiring to be on the National Team,” per USA Gymnastics — with a long and distinguished list of accolades, it made sense for Paulson to be a key contributor for Utah this season, if not more, her inexperience at the college level notwithstanding.
How has Paulson done in the face of those lofty expectations?
Anything but disappoint.
Paulson is one of only two Utah gymnasts, alongside Kim Tessen, to have scored 9.90 or higher on an event in every meet this season. With three event wins, she is tied for the second most wins on the team — with Sydney Soloski and Cristal Isa — trailing only Tessen (5).
She has been Utah’s best balance beam worker by far this year too, with scores of 9.90, 9.90 and 9.925. The latter score, a new career-high set in the win over Arizona, came from the anchor position in the lineup, as Paulson has bounced around from the third to the fourth and now sixth position on beam, finding success almost everywhere she’s gone.
Throw in the 9.90 she earned on floor against ASU, an event where she has been a regular contributor, and Paulson’s Utah career has gotten off swimmingly.
“Blistering,” Utah head coach Tom Farden said. “We are tickled pink that it has turned out this way so far.”
He isn’t surprised, though.
“Abby is a stone cold hard worker, is extremely gifted, headstrong and was trained at the Elite level by great coaches,” Farden said. “It is natural for her to step into this arena and thrive.”
Her teammates felt it almost immediately.
“We trust her gymnastics,” Emilie LeBlanc said. “We trust her to do everything. It isn’t about whether she is going to hit, but how well she is going to hit. We all know she is going to get up there and do the job. It is super refreshing to know that you have someone in the back of the lineup that you can trust.”
Nowhere has that been more readily apparent than on beam and for good reason. In a departure from the norm, Paulson loves beam. Real unadulterated love.
“I love beam, unlike most people,” she said.
That has an impact.
“She loves it. I truly believe she does and that always helps,” said Farden.
The reason for said love is multifaceted. For one, Paulson enjoys that she is good at an event that many aren’t.
“It makes it fun,” she said with a shrug.
More than that though, it is her history with beam that has engendered such deep feelings.
Paulson, you see, dealt with multiple upper body injuries as an 11- and 12 year-old, both as a Level 10 and Elite gymnast. The first injury, a dislocated elbow, occurred during her first year in Level 10. That was followed almost immediately by a broken hand and then another dislocated elbow.
“I kind of have had a lot of upper body injuries,” she said.
Those injuries forced Paulson to get creative with her beam routines and utilize skills that didn’t use her hands, like a cat leap side aerial. Before she realized it, beam became an avenue for her to show off her creativity.
“I realized I could be good at something without doing the standard back handspring layout or round-off double-twist dismount,” she said. “I learned I could switch it up and have fun with it.”
It didn’t hurt when one of her coaches motivated her with the promise of Dairy Queen, either.
“At one meet we had event finals and my coach told me they’d buy me Dairy Queen if I made it to event finals on beam without using my hands,” Paulson said. “So I did. Obviously, I had to.”
Working on unique beam routines for four hours a day, not to mention a Blizzard every now and then, turned beam into an absolute love of Paulson’s, who now has one of the more creative beam routines at Utah, which has been an absolute benefit to both her and the Red Rocks.
“I definitely think her unique series is a separator,” said Farden.
Through the first month of the season, Paulson has separated herself and become one of Utah’s best gymnasts. Not only that, she’s proven that those early season expectations may not have been lofty enough.
Red Rocks on the air
No. 3 Utah (6-0, 2-0 Pac-12) at No. 12 California (6-4, 1-2)
Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MST
TV: Pac-12 Networks