2018 Women's NCAA Gymnastics Championships

The Road To NCAAs: Ramler Reps Gophers In St. Louis

The Road To NCAAs: Ramler Reps Gophers In St. Louis

Minnesota freshman Lexy Ramler chats about her transition from club to college, her Ramler on bars and competing as an individual at nationals.

Apr 14, 2018 by Lauren Green
The Road To NCAAs: Ramler Reps Gophers In St. Louis

Freshman Lexy Ramler competed in front of a hometown crowd at regionals in Minneapolis last weekend and picked up her third-best all-around score with a 39.500 to qualify to NCAAs as an individual. While her team did not earn one of the two spots, the Gophers put together a solid performance and finished less than two tenths out of third place. 

Ramler posted her season-best all-around total in Week 3 with a 39.600 against Ohio State. She has been particularly strong on balance beam where nine of 12 routines have scored a 9.900 or better including her first five collegiate beam routines. She has been consistent on vault and uneven bars where all but one vault has scored a 9.800 or higher. On bars, Ramler posted a 9.850 or better in 11 out of 12 routines. 

The freshman has been a strong performer in the all-around for the Gophers all season and heads to nationals where she will rotate with first-time team qualifier Kentucky on April 20 during the second semifinal session.

FloGymnastics: What is your favorite event to perform and why?

Lexy Ramler: I really like to perform on bars because I’m so confident and I can just let it go and swing. Beam is still really nervous for me to perform, but it’s growing on me a little bit. I just feel really confident going up and just in my zone on beam.


What is your favorite skill to perform on any event?

I don’t compete it but my Ramler on bars. It is a Maloney full or a shaposh full.

What’s the most challenging skill that you’ve learned and what made it challenging for you?

I would have to say my Ramler just because it took so long to work. We played around with it for a few years, putting it in here and there. That one was the most difficult because I was also training a normal Maloney and a van Leuwan, which is a Maloney half (check spelling). So training both of those skills and then the Ramler which is the full, going back and forth was a little difficult but it was fun.

What has the transition been like going from club to collegiate gymnastics?

It’s definitely been a huge transition coming from club, which is very individual. College is very team-oriented. So I wasn’t exactly sure how it was going to go in the new environment. Once I got here the girls were very inclusive and it’s been a blast and I absolutely love the team environment for sure.


What was it like being able to compete in front of a hometown crowd at regionals?

That was so much fun. The day before we found out that it was sold out and so I was just like ‘man it’s going to be packed’ and we’ve never competed at home with an environment so tight and packed like that. I was very excited and once I got there, you definitely start off with lots of energy. It was absolutely an amazing experience.

You’ll be competing at nationals as an individual. Does not being in that team environment change how you’ll prepare to compete?

It’s definitely going to be a little different not having the team but in past years I have competed individually so I’ll slide back into that mode a little bit. I know a couple of my teammates are going to drive down [to St. Louis] so that they’ll be in the audience. I think I’ll compete pretty much everything the same.


How does the adversity that your team faced help prepare you for the rest of the postseason?

I think just competing against different teams, different girls, different environments it gives you more confidence that you can handle anything that comes your way.

How do you bounce back from a fall?

You definitely have to acknowledge that it happened and then move on real quick. You can’t sit on it too long because it’s going to affect your future turns. You just have to accept that you can’t do anything about it and continue and focus on what you can do.

How would you describe yourself in three words?

Determined, kind and focused.

What has been the biggest challenge for you personally this season?

This season would probably be adjusting to the team and just the whole college experience. Being independent, on your own, being away from family, meeting new people, having a new team, new coaches [and] new training environment. Just the overall transition from club into college.

What are you most looking forward to about competing at nationals next week?

I’m very excited to be competing on a podium and in front of a huge audience and on TV.


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