Female Athlete of the Week

Name: Molly Moyer Sport: Gymnastics Year: Freshman Major: Biology… Name: Molly Moyer Sport: Gymnastics Year: Freshman Major: Biology Favorite food: Italian Favorite TV Show: “Friends” Last theater movie seen: “National Treasure 2” Favorite sport besides gymnastics: Volleyball

At first, Molly Moyer thought about following her brother’s footsteps and playing soccer.

“When I was 4, I had a lot of energy and wanted to devote it to soccer,” she said.

“But my mom told me to make my own path and try gymnastics”.

Mrs. Moyer made a very wise suggestion.

Since coming to Pitt, Moyer has made an immediate impact on women’s gymnastics. After placing in the top 10 in all of her events at a tri-meet versus Penn State and Kent State, Moyer was named the East Atlantic Gymnastics League Rookie of the Week.

Looking to continue her success, Moyer finished tied for first place in the floor event against New Hampshire last weekend.

Moyer discovered at a young age how much she loved gymnastics.

“I always knew I would never quit this sport,” she said. “I really wanted to work hard to earn a collegiate scholarship.”

Levels ranging from one, the lowest, to 10, the highest, rank a gymnastics performer. At age 5, Moyer was ranked at level five by her coach. By the time she was a junior in high school, Moyer climbed up to level 10. The majority of college gymnasts’ goal is to reach that level during their collegiate careers.

Before a meet, Moyer looks to her teammates and their music choice to pump her up.

“In the locker room, the girls hook up their iPods to the speakers and blast it.” Moyer said. “We’ll listen to anything, as long as it’s loud, and it definitely psyches me up.”

Right before she’s about to compete, Moyer admits that sometimes she gets too pumped up.

“Sometimes I have to calm myself down when I’m on the beam,” Moyer said. “I can get a little shaky when I’m up there, so I take a few deep breaths to relax myself.”

When the semester’s over, Moyer plans to stick around Pitt for the summer. Besides taking summer classes, she looks to push herself hard for next season.

“I have to continue working hard,” Moyer said. “While at Pitt, I know I will continue to improve my skills. Being here this summer will give me an opportunity to get better.”

Moyer and the Pitt gymnastics team take on Rutgers at 7 p.m. this Friday at the Fitzgerald Field House.