Photo by: Ben Solomon
Senior Reflections: Eriel Santagado
Mar 07 | Women's Gymnastics
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers gymnastics will host its final home meet this season on Friday at 7 p.m. It will be the last time the Scarlet Knights' four seniors compete in front of the home crowd at the RAC.
From Celebration, Florida, Eriel Santagado has achieved success both in the classroom and in the gym during her time at Rutgers. A three-time 2018 NACGC/W Scholastic All-America selection and twice on the Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar lists so far, she will graduate as an evolutionary anthropology major. Santagado has also earned the team's Scholar-Athlete Award multiple times and been recognized for holding a 4.0 GPA.
In addition, her academics have taken her across the world to Indonesia. This past summer, she studied primatology on a research trip.
The senior has competed in 17 career meets, picking up career highs of 9.800 on balance beam and 9.725 on uneven bars.
"I think Eriel is just one who is so determined and is such a hard worker that she wants to come in and do anything that she possibly can to help the team whether it's academically or athletically," head coach Umme Salim-Beasley said. "She has shown so much growth this year as a senior. Just showing her teammates that no matter what your situation is, whether you're competing or not competing, that you still have a lot to be able to contribute."
Santagado's senior reflections…
On being at Rutgers: "I think that, as a whole, it's been a positive experience. There's definitely been some ups and some downs, but it has always taught me to come out the other side and show me a new light. I think that the education here has been really, really great. One of the best parts about Rutgers is the professors that they have here."
On the gymnastics team: "Again, like a rollercoaster. But each high and low has taught me different things. I think the best part is just the feeling of being so close to such a large group of girls and knowing that they're going to be there for you in the gym and out of the gym. It's really helpful, especially being a student-athlete with so many different things that you have to tackle."
On memories: "I think one of the best memories I have is just being able to be on a team with my sister (Charly Santagado) during my freshman and sophomore years. It was really helpful because it's such a huge adjustment freshman year coming in and you really have no idea what college is going to be like. It's always totally different than what you think it's going to be like. It was a great experience to be competing with her again like I had in the past when we were in club gymnastics. Also, I think just a more specific memory that I really, really love is always at the beginning of meets doing all the cheers with my team. You feel like one person with them and it's really a major pump-up."
On the future: "In the near future, the first thing that I'm going to do when I graduate is I'm going to go to Africa, with my sister actually, and we're going to volunteer at this place in Namibia and work with primates. So that's like a kind of vacation, fun thing. But then after that my goal is to really just work on the dance company that my sister and I have, Mignolo Dance, that we started in 2017. Just try and make it in the dance world. And then, at some point, I will probably go back to school, but I need a break before that."
On gymnastics: "It's a very hard sport and it takes all of your energy and commitment, but I think that it has taught me so many things like time management and perseverance, being 100 percent committed to something. You'll finish one day exhausted and always coming back the next day being on time. It's really just taught me to be 100 percent committed to something and I think that in the future that'll be a huge help in my career."
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding women's gymnastics, follow the program on Twitter (@RUGymnastics), Facebook (/RUGymnastics), Instagram (@rutgersgymnastics) and Snapchat (rutgersgym).
From Celebration, Florida, Eriel Santagado has achieved success both in the classroom and in the gym during her time at Rutgers. A three-time 2018 NACGC/W Scholastic All-America selection and twice on the Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar lists so far, she will graduate as an evolutionary anthropology major. Santagado has also earned the team's Scholar-Athlete Award multiple times and been recognized for holding a 4.0 GPA.
In addition, her academics have taken her across the world to Indonesia. This past summer, she studied primatology on a research trip.
The senior has competed in 17 career meets, picking up career highs of 9.800 on balance beam and 9.725 on uneven bars.
"I think Eriel is just one who is so determined and is such a hard worker that she wants to come in and do anything that she possibly can to help the team whether it's academically or athletically," head coach Umme Salim-Beasley said. "She has shown so much growth this year as a senior. Just showing her teammates that no matter what your situation is, whether you're competing or not competing, that you still have a lot to be able to contribute."
Santagado's senior reflections…
On being at Rutgers: "I think that, as a whole, it's been a positive experience. There's definitely been some ups and some downs, but it has always taught me to come out the other side and show me a new light. I think that the education here has been really, really great. One of the best parts about Rutgers is the professors that they have here."
On the gymnastics team: "Again, like a rollercoaster. But each high and low has taught me different things. I think the best part is just the feeling of being so close to such a large group of girls and knowing that they're going to be there for you in the gym and out of the gym. It's really helpful, especially being a student-athlete with so many different things that you have to tackle."
On memories: "I think one of the best memories I have is just being able to be on a team with my sister (Charly Santagado) during my freshman and sophomore years. It was really helpful because it's such a huge adjustment freshman year coming in and you really have no idea what college is going to be like. It's always totally different than what you think it's going to be like. It was a great experience to be competing with her again like I had in the past when we were in club gymnastics. Also, I think just a more specific memory that I really, really love is always at the beginning of meets doing all the cheers with my team. You feel like one person with them and it's really a major pump-up."
On the future: "In the near future, the first thing that I'm going to do when I graduate is I'm going to go to Africa, with my sister actually, and we're going to volunteer at this place in Namibia and work with primates. So that's like a kind of vacation, fun thing. But then after that my goal is to really just work on the dance company that my sister and I have, Mignolo Dance, that we started in 2017. Just try and make it in the dance world. And then, at some point, I will probably go back to school, but I need a break before that."
On gymnastics: "It's a very hard sport and it takes all of your energy and commitment, but I think that it has taught me so many things like time management and perseverance, being 100 percent committed to something. You'll finish one day exhausted and always coming back the next day being on time. It's really just taught me to be 100 percent committed to something and I think that in the future that'll be a huge help in my career."
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding women's gymnastics, follow the program on Twitter (@RUGymnastics), Facebook (/RUGymnastics), Instagram (@rutgersgymnastics) and Snapchat (rutgersgym).
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Gymnastics
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