SOMERS, N.Y. - On Saturday, March 1, McKenna Mullins made her second appearance at the state gymnastics tournament and acknowledged how the past experience put her at ease.
“It definitely made me feel much more comfortable,” said the Tusker, and the lack of nerves did not bode well for the rest of the competition.
She took second on the vault, third on the uneven bars, fourth on the floor and fifth on the balance beam. A tally that had the senior finish second in the all-around competition and sent her home with 11 medals.
Of course, mastering the jitters isn’t all that had Mullins elevating. Including the two week lead up to the tournament, she said, “I practice four hours a day, six days a week.”
Still, the gymnast had to idle on the long ride to Buffalo.
“I slept, watched movies and hung out with the other Section One gymnasts,” said Mullins.
The team practiced the next morning, and after dinner, they stuck the bedtime landing early.
“We got back to the hotel, picked up our stuff, got ready for the next day and woke up at 6:30,” recalled Mullins.
Breakfast at 7:30, the day began on the floor, which allowed matters to settle.
“Hitting the floor, putting your power into the routine helped alleviate the nerves,” Mullins revealed.
The All-Stater also added a little something extra to her step. Mullins upped the difficulty level by incorporating a round off handspring and a one and a half twist.
Down with the upgrade, she then got a good lift on the vault.
“The first went well, the second went better,” said Mullins of her silver performance.
She was on her own on the bars and having only one try to execute the Stiliana Nikolova was no easy task.
“I know I have to catch it and catch it well for the routine to flow,” said Mullins.
A 9.7 score said as much, and the mastery left her closing on the beam. A back handspring, back pike, said Mullins, “I had a slight wobble. But nothing major, and the rest of the routine was clean.”
Done for the day, she graciously deferred to the champion, Grayson Gall.
“She’s a very talented, high-level gymnast and definitely deserved it,” said Mullins.
As for the future, a spot on the William and Mary Gymnastics team is next.
“I want to compete on the team and make an impact,” she asserted.
But first she recognizes the imprint the sport left on her.
“I learned you never give up."
A lesson that could have been learned in a less time-consuming way, but Mullins has no regrets.
“I’ve always had a love for the sport,” the gymnast concluded. “I wouldn’t want it any other way."
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