Melissa Mascaro
January 10, 2003 12:34 PM | General
By Phil Caskey
Mountaineer
Illustrated
Four years ago Mountaineer gymnast Melissa Mascaro came to West Virginia University as an invited walk-on.
Her story is a testament to the belief that when you always give 100 percent, always have a smile on your face and always treat others as you want to be treated you will be justly rewarded. And in return for those attributes and dedication by becoming a team player, the senior from East Longmeadow, Mass., earned a scholarship this past summer and the honor of being one of the team’s three co-captains this season.
"I was shocked at first," the exercise physiology major says about being named a co-captain. "I really hadn’t competed and really hadn’t contributed that much. I am honored. That made me realize people do respect what I do for the team and it made me feel really good.
"I was so happy," she adds. "I found out this past summer when I got the papers in the mail at home. I almost cried. My parents and I were very happy."
While she might not capture the headlines that some of her teammates will this season, Mascaro is one of five Mountaineer seniors who are the driving forces on this year’s squad.
"I was scared my freshman year because I came in knowing I wasn’t as good as everyone else," Mascaro recalls of her rookie year. "I had to really bust my butt in the gym every day. I think back to that year and that senior class was one of the best.
"This year, with leadership, we’ve made sure that everyone is together. I want the freshmen to realize that when they become seniors that this current group of seniors is not just out for ourselves. We want to start them out right so they can carry on something special for the rest of their years here."
Coming from New England might be a culture shock for some, but for Mascaro, coming to WVU was a perfect fit. She found out about the school from a judge in her club gym who had judged West Virginia meets. She got in touch with the Mountaineer coaching staff, sent in a tape, came on a recruiting visit and the rest is history.
"It wasn’t so much of a big jump," she says of the lifestyle change. "It was what West Virginia was offering that I loved. I loved the size of the school and I wanted to be somewhere where I could be independent but close to home."
With future plans to attend WVU’s medical school, Mascaro is facing this season with no fears. Those demons were exorcized last year when she saw her first career collegiate action in the season opener at Michigan State.
"It was exciting and scary," she recalls of her first true college experience, "but it was one of the best experiences of my life. It gave me an opportunity to do my best and prove myself. I knew I was ready going into that meet. I was trained for it no matter what. You have to be ready at all times and I showed that I was. You have to be prepared in this sport."
This year she is planning on bigger and better things, all of which stem from her hard work and determination to become better.
"I think I’ve trained a lot harder and tried to be a lot more consistent early on and not really wait until mid-season to start hitting my routines."
Preparation has seemed to be the underlying story of Mascaro’s career. This year she’s doing so with hopes of cracking the top six on floor exercise, balance beam and uneven bars.
Since the age of five, gymnastics has been a part of her life. But as is the case with so many gymnasts, it’s not the love of the sport that keeps her going.
"It went from loving the sport to loving the people involved with the sport," she admits. "There isn’t just one thing that I like. Coming in with the team every day and working with them is such a different experience. When I came here I was coming from a club where I was the team. To see everyone so close here as a family is, words can’t describe it. It’s pretty gratifying."
Rewarding it must be when she looks at where she started, how far she’s come and what she hopes to do this season in leading her team.
