Having taken up a sporting scholarship at the University of Illinois in Chicago while studying for a four-year Bsc degree in kinesiology, South African gymnast Nicole Szabo has already made her presence felt on the United States scene.
Starting her US experience off with a bang – the 19-year-old Johannesburg athlete finished her first semester with two distinctions, she also was in top form for the university’s gymnastics team that goes by the name of the Flames.
The collegiate competition season started in January, and continues to the end of March and early April. In this period the team will compete at home on five occasions, and hit the road for eight away trips.
This week Szabo, who has high hopes of competing at the 2015 Universiade in South Korea, was honoured to be named Specialist of the Week, by the Midwest Independent Conference.
That was after she scored a season high of 9.825 on the uneven bars, and 9.75 on the floor, in the competition against Lindenwood University. On top of that she was also tied for first on uneven bars.
Szabo is already a seasoned veteran of the SA gymnastics scene, having competed around the world, and one of her best results was finishing sixth on the uneven bars, at the 2011 Doha Challenge Cup.
Szabo’s father, Miklos, was the gymnastics coach of Team South Africa at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Photo: SA gymnast Nicole Szabo is making the most of her sporting scholarship at the University of Illinois in Chicago, racking up two academic distinctions in her first semester to back up her ‘Specialist of the Week’ accolade, in the weekend’s Midwest Independent Conference competition for her university team, The Flames. Photo: SASCOC Road to Rio
(With editing by gsport)
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