The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1318516
40 ■ THE WOLFPACKER career that has her walking, literally, on the red carpet in Hollywood. From Unknown To Star Hancock was the typical energetic toddler that probably forced her mother into find- ing a way to burn her kid's energy, and at around 3 years old that included her being put in a gymnastics class. For most of her adolescence, however, gymnastics was more of a hobby than a sport. She was certainly talented, and she worked out for a competitive club called New England Gymnastics Express, but Hancock noted while growing up in Suf- field, Conn., she figured she would just end up going to college at a school like nearby Rhode Island and be a regular student. "When I was in club gymnastics, my teammates just outshined me so much that I just kind of did my own thing," Hancock recalled. Hancock was not on Stevenson's radar when the coach made a recruiting trip to New England. Most coaches were flock- ing to see gymnasts like Ashleigh Clare- Kearney, who would go on to compete at LSU and be a NCAA champion and NCAA Woman of the Year finalist. At that point, Hancock had seen some re- cruiting interest from programs such as Cal State Fullerton and Boise State. Yet Steven- son saw something in Hancock that perhaps others missed. He persuaded Hancock and her parents to have a dinner with him, and that led to a recruiting trip to Raleigh. For Hancock, NC State was perfect. "I was ready to experience something else," she noted. Boise State and Cal State Fullerton were too far, she added, whereas NC State fit all her needs and wants. "It was a huge adjustment, actually," Hancock admitted. "When you are in high school you don't understand that there is a whole big world out there. I lived in a small town. … The South is just so welcoming. I was just welcomed by everyone and their families. "People talked to me like they knew me. It was so nice. I loved the South." There was another adjustment in the gym that took place. Hancock began to blossom, an advancement for which she gave the credit to Stevenson and his coaching staff. "Mark used to always say to me, 'Be careful, Leigha, one day you are going to surprise yourself,'" Hancock remembered. When Hancock was named the EAGL Rookie of the Year, she began to believe in what Stevenson was preaching. "All those coaches noticed," Hancock recalled. "That was a big deal." Beam was her top event. She was placed on anchor in the rotation as a sophomore and stayed there for the rest of her career. While some may be frightened of the ap- paratus, Hancock embraced it. "I think it was because I wasn't afraid of it," she explained. "Honestly, I just felt like the worst that is going to happen is I am going to crash, and it's going to hurt, but I wasn't afraid of it. You do better on beam when you are not afraid of it. When you are timid, you fall." Hancock always scored well on the floor and was a good vaulter. One event did give her problems. "Bars were a struggle for me, but Mark just kept pushing and pushing," Hancock admitted. "He said that I was going to com- pete all-around, whether I like it or not." That moment came her junior year, which was one of Hancock's most lasting memo- ries. It was the one team she competed on that won the EAGL, and right before the conference meet a teammate was stricken with mononucleosis, which meant Hancock would do her first-ever all-around. Then, as a senior, Hancock had another of her most memorable moments, winning the all-around in a meet with LSU, beating her good friend and one-time highly touted club teammate, Clare-Kearney. "Memories [in the sport] before in high school and stuff were just doing the sport that you do every day, something that you go to after high school," Hancock noted. "Once college became a possibility, it got a little bit more serious — and then once I was in college, I just loved it." An In-Demand Stuntwoman Hancock became so enthralled with gym- nastics that it became a passion of hers to continue the acrobatic career post-college. LEIGHA HANCOCK Gymnastics (2005-08) Age: 34 Living: Suffield, Conn. Occupation: Stuntwoman Did You Know? Hancock is the only NC State gymnast to win an event title at the East Atlantic Gymnastic League Champion - ships in three consecutive years. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS