By Jess Westendorf
Redshirt junior Mark Springett committed to the Iowa men’s gymnastics program wanting to prove himself as a college gymnast, and he certainly has.
Springett is from Dover, Massachusetts, a small town with a population of roughly 5,500. That’s is where his gymnastics career started.
He started in a recreational gym, and soon after was approached to join a club team. His parents supported the decision and helped make it possible for him to continue in career. They traveled and made sure he was at meets.
“I started when I was a toddler; my mother signed me up,” Springett said. “I just really stuck with it. I switched over to a gym back in Massachusetts, and I was approached by the head coach of the boys’ gymnastics team because he saw potential in me. The next thing I knew, I was doing competitive gymnastics, and ever since, I stayed with gymnastics.”
Springett had a passion for gymnastics and knew what he would choose.
“I did gymnastics and baseball up until high school when the time came for me to choose either baseball or gymnastics,” Springett said.
“I just had this passion; I knew I didn’t have that much of a choice to make. I knew I would continue with gymnastics; it is just what I have a passion for.”
The next step for him was to reach coaches and find a program that he could fit.
Springett contacted many universities that had men’s gymnastics programs and waited to see how the coaches responded to him. His top choices were Michigan, Temple, and Iowa.
“Looking at the college process for men’s gymnastics, it comes down to how far away you want to go from home,” Springett said. “Coach JD was one of the coaches who replied to me and asked me to come out for a visit, so I did, and it was crazy. I showed up in November, and I fell in love with the campus immediately.”
The next part was persuading the coaches that they wanted him. He not only voiced his passion for gymnastics but showed what he could produce as a Hawkeye. From there, it was an easy decision for head coach JD Reive.
Springett’s freshman season was slow, but he made the transition from being a high-school gymnast to a college gymnast. He competed in one meet his freshman year and placed third on floor in Iowa’s victory at Illinois-Chicago. He was also the recipient of Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Unfortunately, he did not compete in his sophomore season, but that didn’t stop him from making a comeback the next season.
Springett was granted a redshirt waiver and competed in every competition on floor, rings, and vault in the 2016 season. He also gained the honor of being an Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
“The fun part with Mark being a redshirt junior is that he developed his role in the team,” Reive said. “He could figure out what worked and what didn’t work, which has helped him step into a more cohesive fit.”
Now that the season is underway, Springett is ready to compete and show what he can do. In Iowa’s home-opener against Illinois-Chicago, Springett recorded his season best on floor with a 14.300 to add to the Hawkeye’s first win at home.
“I want to lead by example mostly,” he said. “I don’t just want to influence the freshmen and sophomores but my fellow juniors and seniors. I want to be there for them and encourage them to produce the best gymnastics they can produce, because I know they are capable.”
