College Notebook: Peabody’s Nelson finding success at Arkansas

Samantha Nelson didn’t always dream of becoming a gymnast.
“I actually hated gymnastics when I started,” said Nelson. “I loved hockey, but for some reason I went back to it.”
Nelson, the 19-year-old Peabody native, returned to the sport when she was 7 years old and remains thankful she gave gymnastics a second chance.
“Right away, I really enjoyed competing,” she said. “And I haven’t stopped since.”
Her indomitable work ethic brought Nelson all the way to Fayetteville, Ark. She is a sophomore on the Division I University of Arkansas’ gymnastics team, and earned All-SEC honors as a freshman as well as securing a spot on the All-SEC freshman team.
“Last year, I didn’t have any expectations,” she said. “I just pushed myself to do well, and I was very pleased with how it all turned out. That’s when I realized I was here at Arkansas, competing with a scholarship in college, and all my hard work really paid off.”
While Nelson stands just 4 feet 11 inches, she is overflowing with spirit. While competing for Ace Gymnastic she attended high school at St. Mary’s in Lynn and credits the school with preparing her to succeed in college as both a student and an athlete.
“St. Mary’s definitely got me ready for college,” she said. “I trained every day, and I learned how to balance my school work and gymnastics.”
Her insatiable desire to improve at her craft paid off with a full athletic scholarship at Arkansas. The Razorbacks showed their interest in 2011 after Nelson’s exceptional performance at nationals in California, and she committed at the beginning of her junior year.
“They had a scholarship for me if I was willing to come, so I went out and visited the campus with my mom,” she said. “While we were on campus, I turned to her and said, ‘Mom, I’m going here.’ And she asked, ‘Arkansas?’ I told her it was the right place and where I am meant to be, and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
The Razorbacks’ strive for perfection has turned the program into one of the elite teams in the nation.
“We have a pretty diverse team,” she said. “And we have really good chemistry this year. We work out five times a week, sometimes twice a day, and our practices are always four hours.”
The business major kicked off her sophomore season in style this past Friday against the No. 2 in the nation, co-defending NCAA champion Oklahoma. Nelson performed for the first time as a collegiate athlete on the vault at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla,, and also delivered a 9.875 on the floor, tying her career best.
“Honestly, I just try to have fun,” she said. “I can’t think it has to be perfect. I just go back to the basics.”
While she’s far from home, Nelson has noticed some similarities between Fayetteville and back in Peabody.
“They aren’t as different as you’d think,” she said. “I never expected there to be such a winter here. I can’t get away from the cold.”
While Nelson is no stranger to the cold, she’s also no stranger to hard work. She has set high objectives for the upcoming season.
“My personal goal is to average a 9.9 on each event, and a team goal is be a part of the Super Six Finals [the NCAA championship],” said Nelson. “I have a lot of goals, but I know hard work pays off.”
Vecchione nominated for Hobey Baker Award
Nearly nine months to the day after Mike Vecchione’s first season at Union College concluded with the program’s first Division I national championship, the Saugus native has been nominated for college hockey’s most prestigious individual award.
Fan voting for the Hobey Baker Award opened early last week with Vecchione, the Dutchmen’s assistant captain and leading point getter (30), among the field of 61 players from across the nation. Through his first 21 games this season, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound forward leads the ECAC in assists (19) and overall scoring, helped along by 11 multiple-point efforts, equaling his total from last season.
Vecchione, a sophomore, was named the ECAC player of the month