Every year, freshmen come from across the country to attend N.C. State for a number of different reasons. Whether it’s for the engineering school, the ability to participate in hands-on research or simply Raleigh’s atmosphere, students come to State with a dream.
Junior gymnast Jess Panza came to N.C. State three years ago to be the best gymnast she could be for the Wolfpack. Panza, a native of New York, N.Y., was the No. 1 overall gymnast in the state before joining the Pack, but said she still was shocked by the change of scenery when she first arrived in Raleigh.
Knowing how tough the adjustment was upon arriving at the University, Panza tries to help some of the younger members of the team feel more at home when they first arrive on campus.
“It definitely is a big culture shock when you get to college,” Panza said. “And for a lot of people, the biggest thing is that they miss their family the most. But here at State, we are like a family. These girls here are like my sisters, and it’s a great feeling to know you have that family around you.”
While she may make competing in the all-around look easy, Panza has always had to struggle through more than just nerves as a gymnast.
Panza suffers from leg-length discrepancy, which means one leg is slightly longer than the other. She has had to deal with a severe amount of pain in her lower back throughout her collegiate career.
Coach Mark Stevenson said while Panza may have to deal with this issue, she certainly does not let it hold her back.
“She is a great leader by example,” Stevenson said. “Her back is in bad shape, and one leg is slightly longer than the other, so she struggles with her pain threshold. But she is the last person to take herself out of practice.”
When asked about her role as a leader this season, Panza couldn’t fight a superstitious urge. The junior said she has always been a very superstitious person, and that just the mention of her success meant she had to knock on wood.
Thus far in Panza’s career, her superstitious nature has seemed to pay off. She has earned All-EAGL Tournament first or second team honors in each of her three seasons. But this was the first year Panza earned first team honors in every event, as well as taking home All-Tournament first-team honors.
Panza said she is happy with her progression as a gymnast after three years of collegiate competition.
“I think in comparison to previous seasons, I am really happy with my success this season,” Panza said. “I try to look at it meet by meet, whereas I put pressure on myself in past seasons throughout the entire year. I am finally looking at the season as one day at a time and one meet at a time, because that’s really all the season is.”
Freshman Diahanna Ham has had a stellar year for the Pack along with Panza. In fact, the two of them were the only two gymnasts to earn All-Tournament honors at this year’s EAGL Championship. Ham earned second team honors for her vault performance, while Panza earned first team honors in every event on her way to a third place overall finish.
Ham said learning about the progression of Panza from her freshman year until now has made her want to work harder to be a better gymnast.
“It’s really nice to see how [Panza’s] hard work has paid off for her” Ham said. “To see her progress from doing well at just one event to doing all-around makes me want to do that. I want to work just as hard as she has to get to that point.”
While Panza may be looked at as a leader by the underclassmen on the squad, she said she feels it is best to lead by example rather than tell someone what to do during their routine.
“I think that my consistency and maturity in the gym and on the mat is where I have progressed the most” Panza said. “I’m not the baby in the gym anymore, so girls look up to me and the upperclassmen, and look at our attitudes in practice and out of practice. So it was very important to realize that I should start to lead by example.”
Ham said the message is being heard loud and clear through Panza’s confidence on the mat and in everything she does, whether during competition or practice.
“Her confidence really helps me and the rest of the team” Ham said. “Whenever I’m nervous she just helps me to stay calm and stay positive. She really helps me to not break down and remember what I was doing during practice.”
Stevenson has watched Panza over the years as she has developed into a standout for the Pack, and said she is a valuable member of the team by the way that she always competes at her highest level.
“Jess was voted the MVP by our team for the conference championship for a reason” Stevenson said. “She goes out every weekend and hits her routines as we have asked her to do, and when somebody can do that they become extremely valuable. Knowing that Jess can go out there and hit 99.9 percent of her routines she can hit everything is extremely comforting.”
Panza and the Pack will travel to Athens, Ga., to compete in Regionals Saturday at 4 p.m. hoping to earn a spot in Nationals.
