IU gymnastics club similar to varsity team

The IU gymnastics club might not be a Division I varsity sport, but flips, jumps and turns are still a part of its daily routine, as is the daily battle to achieve perfection in the gym.

After a year that did not bring the success many members expected, the club has shown optimism toward the year to come. While the goal every year is to compete well at the national level, the success can also be measured by the experiences the team had along the way.

Although no one person made it to the final round of nationals, the team members said it was still worth being a part of the experience.

Freshman club member Alex Banasiak made his first appearance at nationals this April, and even though he did not advance to the finals, he found a connection with the gymnasts from other schools.

“On the first night of nationals, we went to dinner with one of the other teams and the conversations were really funny and it was a friendly atmosphere,” Banasiak said.

After nationals ended, the team had to shift its focus to the upcoming year. The members and executives both share the same outlook on the club for next year.

“We have already had a bunch of people contact us about coming out for the team next year,” sophomore and club vice president Beth Lutzow said.

Members of the team said they were excited about next season.

“This year was a lot of fun, and with more people coming out for the club it should be even more fun next year,” Banasiak said.

The gymnastics club welcomes anybody who wants to compete or just practice their skills and get some feedback. Banasiak said this creates a loose environment around practice.

“The entire team is really down to earth,” Banasiak said. “We all joke around with each other.”

This environment helps the gymnasts stay loose and work at their own pace. The club does not force the members to compete if they do not want to. Lutzow said the club is for anyone who wants to get better at gymnastics.

“Anybody can come out for the team,” Lutzow said. “You don’t even have to compete if you don’t want to.”