When ASU gymnastics held its 2017 home opener against UC-Davis on Jan. 21 at Wells Fargo Arena, Sun Devil fans caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar face on the bars.
But junior transfer Nichelle Christopherson is quickly making her presence known in Tempe with a combination of composure and calmness that has caught the attention of her teammates and coaches alike.
Christopherson may be new, but she has already established herself as one of the leaders on a young ASU team after transferring from the University of Michigan. Christopherson said she discussed her role as a potential leader in detail with head coach Jay Santos prior to her transfer.
"(Santos) knew already that I had experience under my belt coming from a school like Michigan and there really incredible program," Christopherson said.
Leadership isn't the only new aspect for Chrisopherson. Her usage rate has also increased since coming to ASU. In her two years at Michigan, Christopherson competed primarily on the uneven bars, where she appeared four times as a freshman and 13 times as sophomore. She also occasionally made appearances on the floor in the latter half of her sophomore year.
Christopherson has competed in at least three events during each of her first five meets as a Sun Devil. She admitted that her approach, both mentally and physically, has changed since she transferred.
"There is definitely more pressure and I think as time has gone on I have done a better job at acclimating to that," Christopherson said. "It definitely takes a toll on your body and that has been the most difficult thing for me."
When Christopherson was brought into the program, it was not only for her natural talent, but also for her work ethic, Santos said.
"She always tries to hold herself to a high standard in practice and it really goes along with what we preach as a coaching staff," Santos said. "When she comes into the gym she is ready to work and told that standard for herself and the team.”
A solid work ethic is nothing new for Christopherson and Santos isn't the only coach to mention it. Bev Plocki, her former head coach at Michigan, also took notice of Christopherson's dedication. Plocki had finished her recruiting for the 2014-15 season when Christopherson contacted her about possibly walking onto the Michigan program for the season.
“Nichelle was committed to another school, but things didn't pan out and she contacted me right away,” Plocki said.
Christopherson walked on and made the team despite knowing she would have to pay tuition, not to mention she was nursing an ankle injury throughout her freshman year. But the injury did not deter her. Plocki explained that she saw Chirstopherson rehabbing her injury every time she could in order to make her return to the gym.
The following year, a fully healthy Christopherson was awarded a partial scholarship. Nonetheless, the financial stress of paying out-of-state tuition was the ultimate reason for her decision to transfer. Plocki said she understood the decision, and still saw Chrisopherson as the sweet, good-hearted kid who walked onto her team.
"It was for that reason why she deserved an opportunity to be apart of our team but was also the reason why we were ecstatic for her when she left for Arizona State," Plocki said.
Reach the reporter at jaramo12@asu.edu or follow @hor_hay10 on Twitter.
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