Avoiding a sophomore slump, Amanda Stepp has been able to find success and has played a large factor in the gymnastics team’s 3-1 record.

Stepp has take on more responsibility this year. For most of her freshman season until near its end, Stepp performed in two events and exhibited in one. Stepp has been in the starting lineup on vault, beam and floor all this season and has shown improvement in her scoring.

“I don’t like to just throw my freshmen out there if a don’t have to,” said head coach Sam Morreale. “It’s a good learning curve to get experience as a freshman. She actually was a three eventer for me last year, but just wasn’t scoring as well. That’s definitely something that she has grown into. She’s really good with what she does. She’s really clean with what she does.”

The improvement and components of her game have already led to higher overall scores on vault and beam than last year, although a smaller sample size, with increases from averages of 9.610 and 9.466 to 9.668 and 9.700, respectively. Stepp only counted three actual scores toward the end of the season, with the average at 9.725. Currently, through four events she has an average of 9.581, having to count a 9.000 in the first meet of the season.

Stepp believes that this year has been more comfortable in both athletics and in school.

“Freshman year was just kind of intimidating; this year’s a lot about confidence because I’ve done it before,” Stepp said. “Being at college is a lot. Your first year is stressful, this year I’m just more settled in.”

Stepp was initially recruited by Morreale as an all-around competitor, and he believes that she has a lot of upward mobility for her events and her current success helps stabilize the team.

“When I recruited her I saw her as being someone as she moved forward with us, that she would be in the top of the MAC in those three events,” Morreale said. “She hasn’t even reached her full potential of what she was doing in vault before I recruited her, so there’s even more upside there. A sophomore being somebody like that it is a huge thing, the rest of the team is very comfortable with Amanda and what she can do for us. It doesn’t become a stress spot for the team, that’s a big thing.”

The currently comprised roster has a lot of youth, so production from someone like Stepp helps to make the scores more predictable. Stepp’s scores have also pulled the team out of several tight spots this year with her contributions on beam and floor.

Stepp gives a lot of credit to the recently graduated members for her success and increasing her effort and determination.

“They were so motivating,” Stepp said. ”They just were constantly pushing us and making us more competitive. We just try to keep that mindset.”

While Stepp has found a lot of personal success in a relatively rigid personal sport, her biggest excitement so far this season has not been for herself but for the team’s success.

“We have a really good team this year,” Stepp said. “Our team is really close, and I think our team can do really good things this year.”