Gopher Gymnast Lexy Ramler Lives For Perfection, Challenge
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Lexy Ramler just missed qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials in gymnastics.
But what has followed has been an astounding freshman year for the University of Minnesota gymnastics team. As WCCO's Mike Max reports, she is bringing the program up, and the fans to their feet.
They sold out Maturi Pavilion with a record-setting crowd Saturday, and then got a big upset victory over Arizona State. The perfect atmosphere.
"It was so much fun. I love it when the Pav is packed and you just feed off the crowd's energy," Ramler said.
Then Ramler brought them out of their seats with another performance that is becoming defining.
"She kind of came in right from the first day determined. She came in with a 'I'm going to make a difference, I'm going to make an impact.' And she carried that on all throughout the summer, all through fall and she's really helped raise the bar of our athletes," Gophers coach Jenny Hansen said.
What she has is what most want, a fearless attitude that creates an aptitude for this sport. And when she's on the beam, it's difficult to understand.
"It's not an ordinary thing. Normal people can't do it. People look at it and they're like 'Oh my gosh you do that a lot?' Yes I do," Ramler said.
Because it ties into her personality.
"She's a perfectionist like you've probably never seen. She's all about trying to be perfect every chance she gets," Hansen said. "Sticking every single dismount, and she's not satisfied."
That's why she is special. A love for sport, married to a discipline to get it done, leads to a performance high.
"I love the challenge of it. There's always something new, there's always a new connection. You can always go bigger or better," Ramler said. "There's never a top notch thing, so it just keeps you going."