Of all the student-athletes at Utah, gymnast Breanna Hughes may be the most exemplary example of the moniker “student-athlete.” Just days after being honored as the Pac-12 Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete in recognition of her academic success, Hughes took home the all-round title at the Pac-12 Conference Championships last Saturday in Seattle.
But even after earning such prestigious accolades, and with a chance to earn even more hardware in the upcoming NCAA Regionals and National Championships, the senior with a 3.965 GPA and a top-10 ranking in the all-round just wants to enjoy the remaining days of her gymnastics career with her teammates.
“I don’t want to focus on outcomes — I just want to enjoy every minute with my team and just soak it all in, even just at practice,” Hughes said. “I’m not getting too caught up in the outcomes at every turn, but just knowing that I’m there because I love the sport and I love to be a part of this team. I enjoy all these little things so that I can look back and remember all these moments and the awesome people I got to share them with.”
The native of Champlin, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, credits her father, Mike Hunger, who coached her at her club gym back home, for her success as a collegiate gymnast.
“I would not be the gymnast I am today without him,” said Hughes, who also earned the top individual score in vault at the conference championships. “He really transformed me and showed me what it’s like to be passionate about something because he’s so passionate about coaching. He comes in every day, and he’s willing to work with you on whatever you want to accomplish. He really showed me what it is to set goals and work towards them and not get too caught up in everything and just take it day by day and just try your hardest every day. There’s no way I would be where I am without him.”
The rigorous schedule of a student-athlete can be incredibly challenging. Fulfilling all the obligations of carrying a full class load, attending practice, traveling to meets and having some semblance of a social life can be a tougher balancing act than flipping around on a balance beam. According to Hughes, doing both well takes a lot of practice.
“I think that’s something that’s instilled in a lot of us before we even get to college,” she said. “Having to deal with high school and club gymnastics is difficult, too, because in club gymnastics, you’re in high school all day and then you go to practice and you don’t get home until like 8 or 9 o’clock. So I think that really starts the ball rolling of really getting to understand how to manage your time and really balance things.”
With the twilight of her gymnastics career rapidly approaching, Hughes looks back on her four years with the Red Rocks, grateful for the relationships she made with her teammates.
“Each year, every team is a little bit different, but we always grow so close,” Hughes said. “It’s just like gaining 12 sisters. It’s just so awesome to know that even though gymnastics will come to an end, these friendships will be there forever and these will be people that I’ll be friends with long into the future.”
As for what the team hopes to accomplish in the NCAA Regionals in Salt Lake on April 2, Hughes expects the top-seeded Red Rocks to make some serious noise on their way to Nationals.
“I think we just want to keep moving forward and taking big steps forward by going out there and showing everyone what we’ve worked so hard for all year and how good of a team we are and how much we can do and show everyone that we’re a fighting team and we’re in this for the long haul.”
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