Ohio State all-around senior Jenna Swartzentruber gives head coach Meredith Paulicivic a first bump after her bars routine during the Ohio State-Illinois-Michigan State meet. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Heading into the twilight of her college career, Jenna Swartzentruber is raising the bar for future Buckeye gymnasts.
Senior all-around competitor Swartzentruber is one of 30 gymnasts nominated for the American Athletic, Inc. Award, which is awarded to the top senior female collegiate gymnast in the nation. Every head coach in the NCAA chooses gymnasts to nominate for the award.
“Jenna is the strongest she’s ever been in her entire gymnastics career right now,” head coach Meredith Paulicivic said.
Swartzentruber has won four individual event titles this season and is currently tied for 18th in the country on the uneven bars, in which her highest score this season on bars is a 9.925.
“Jenna was a clear choice for me. She’s been an outstanding contributor for us, from the time that she has come here, and has really had an amazing senior year,” Paulicivic said.
Being recognized by the coaching staff for this nomination meant a lot to Swartzentruber, she said.
“It’s such an honor. I respect them so much, and for them to think about me for this award is really special,” Swartzentruber said.
Swartzentruber, from Centerburg, Ohio, trained at Buckeye gymnastics growing up and was trained by Ohio State women’s gymnastics assistant coaches Randy Monahan and Lucas Wasson. She also competed twice at the Nastia Liukin Cup, an annual national competition for the top Junior Olympic gymnasts.
Since coming to Ohio State, she has continued upon her achievements. In 2019, she was on the Big Ten All-Championship Team and has been an Academic All-Big Ten and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete for two years.
Paulicivic said Swartzentruber’s accomplishments both inside and outside of the gym factored into her nomination.
“Not only is it about what you’ve done in the gym, but it’s also about what you’ve done in the classroom and community service,” Paulicivic said. “Jenna has done a good job of balancing all of those things.”
So far, Swartzentruber has competed in 43 meets for the Buckeyes and has never missed a competition since she has joined the team.
Swartzentruber’s collegiate career was not easy, as she said her freshman year was particularly tough for her. But she said her team and coaches helped her become the person she is today.
“Every year has come with its different challenges, and it has just been so cool to look back and have overcome a lot of those with my team,” Swartzentruber said.
Although Swartzentruber’s chapter with Ohio State is about to close, she is still setting new records. At the Big Five meet Feb. 26, Swartzentruber scored a career-high 9.850 on vault.
Paulicivic said Swartzentruber is currently doing the best vaults in her life.
“It has been fun to see her pushing herself at the very end to be the strongest and best she can be, and she is still striving to make things better,” Paulicivic said. “You don’t see that all the time.”
Swartzentruber has been a gymnast at Ohio State since the first year Paulicivic joined the program, and she said it’ll be bittersweet to see the senior leave.
“Jenna and I have always been really close since she’s been here,” Paulicivic said.
Swartzentruber said she wouldn’t be the person that she is today without her coaches.
“They really care about us as people over the players,” Swartzentruber said. “They’ve really helped me figure out who I am and how I’m going to succeed in life after gymnastics.”
After Swartzentruber graduates this year, she will be going to physical therapy school at Mount St. Joseph University.
“I’m excited for a new chapter of my life. I’ve been doing gymnastics for so long, it’ll be nice to incorporate a lot of the things I’ve learned from my gymnastics career moving forward,” Swartzentruber said.
Paulicivic said she is really proud that Swartzentruber, and all of the senior gymnasts, have a plan after college, despite COVID-19’s effect on the future.
Swartzentruber said her mantra is “once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye.”
“There were up moments and there were down moments, but I always knew this team was with me,” Swartzentruber said.
