The Northern Star caught up with gymnast Jennifer Naughton.

The junior from Missouri stopped to talk about her decision to go into gymnastics and Kansas City BBQ.

Northern Star: Why did you decide to leave Missouri for DeKalb?

Jennifer Naughton: A lot of the older gymnists from my club came here, so I wanted to come here knowing at least one or two girls.

NS: What’s the biggest difference between Missouri and DeKalb?

JN: The weather.

NS: Not a fan of the weather?

JN: No, it’s too cold for me.

NS: What made you decide to go into gymnastics?

JN: My older sister. It’s just like every little sister wants to be like their older sister.

NS: You aspired after her?

JN: Yeah. She went to the gym, and they dragged me along and it kind of stuck.

NS: What’s your favorite sport, aside from gymnastics?

JN: I like watching football and baseball.

NS: Are you a Royals or a Chiefs fan?

JN: I’m a Chiefs fan. I can’t stray away from them. But I’m not a Royals fan; not too many people in Kansas City are.

NS: Are you going to watch the Super Bowl?

JN: I’m going to try. We have a meet, and as soon as the meet gets done, I’m going to rush home and watch it.

NS: What’s your prediction?

JN: Patriots.

NS: Kansas City is really famous for its BBQ. Do you like BBQ?

JN: I do. Up here, it’s no comparison to Kansas City BBQ.

NS: What’s your favorite BBQ dish?

JN: Ribs, easily.

NS: You had a 4.0 GPA as a freshman. How big of an accomplisment was that for you?

JN: It was definitely my best year ever as a student. I’m proud of it. Hopefully I can do it again.

NS: You were recently named MAC Gymnastics Specialist of the Week. How proud were you of that award?

JN: I’m really proud. There’s a lot of amazing girls on this team and in the MAC. To get that award even once is a huge honor.