Olentangy Berlin sophomore Izzy Stassi pursuing college, Olympic gymnastics dreams
Izzy Stassi’s success in gymnastics is not the least bit surprising to the coaches who have worked with the Olentangy Berlin sophomore.
Coaches such as Steve Darrigo sensed years ago that Stassi was talented and driven, someone who would put in the time necessary to accomplish just what Stassi has done — excel on the national and world levels.
A veteran of three U.S. championships and one world championship before her 15th birthday, which is Thursday, Stassi is on a trajectory that could take her to a Division I college program and maybe even the Olympics.
It all started when she was 6 years old and attended Five Star Gymnastics in Brunswick. A year later, she met Darrigo, who became her main coach and still works with her today at Buckeye Gymnastics in Westerville.
“Just her inner drive and her enjoyment of the sport made it a lot easier (to recognize her talent),” Darrigo said. “She was always eager to do something and always wanting to do the best thing. She was always practicing at home. She showed that drive, that determination and that expectation that she had for herself to get to higher levels.”
Stassi, who doesn't compete in high school gymnastics but would like to compete in college, believes her best chance to represent the U.S. in the Summer Olympics is 2028 in Los Angeles rather than 2024 in Paris.
"I was originally thinking about the 2024 Olympics, but as time progressed, I was thinking I'm going to be really young and all the girls are coming back," she said. "That would be unrealistic. I think 2028 would be better."
Stassi has a sense for knowing what is best for her in the sport. As she progressed, she and Darrigo believed training at a more established gym would be beneficial, so Stassi and her family moved from northeast Ohio to central Ohio about three years ago.
Stassi enrolled at Gym-Xtreme Gymnastics in Lewis Center, with Darrigo joining the coaching staff. Then last October, Stassi moved to Buckeye Gymnastics, where she has worked with Darrigo and Kittia Carpenter, who previously coached Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas.
“Kittia has a lot of experience with everything,” Stassi said. ”Also, Steve followed me. He was in Cleveland with me and moved two gyms with me.”
Stassi said she has “no regrets” about moving to central Ohio.
“It’s been a great couple of years,” Darrigo said. “She wanted me to remain her coach and I wanted to be her coach. (Her) parents (Vito and Kelly) agreed that Buckeye was a better place for her to be at.”
The past year has been particularly successful. Competing in her third nationals, Stassi won vault (27.3) and placed third in the all-around (103.55) in the U.S. Gymnastics Junior Championships, which were held Aug. 24-27 in San Jose, California. She also was fifth on uneven bars (26.15) and floor exercise (25.05) and sixth on balance beam (25.05).
“As her longtime coach, I was not surprised at how well she did,” Darrigo said. “What surprised me most was her determination and her grit. It’s something that shouldn’t surprise you, but when you put an athlete in a situation as big as nationals, you see different things come out as they mature. ... I’ve been coaching 23 years, and I don’t think I’ve met an athlete with such great determination as her.”
Stassi helped the U.S. earn the silver medal in the Junior World Championships, which were held March 29-April 2 in Antalya, Turkey.
She also finished sixth in the all-around (51.8) in the Winter Cup, which was held in February in Louisville, Kentucky. That effort earned her a spot on the junior national team.
Stassi will move to the senior division in January, according to Carpenter.
“She can handle it,” Carpenter said. “She has the capability of increasing her start values and can do a great job with that and hanging in there with most of the seniors.”
Stassi is looking forward to the challenge.
“You have to compete against Simone (Biles) and everyone,” Stassi said. “With juniors, it’s the younger division, so I was at the top of that. With the seniors, I’ll be starting at the bottom and have to work my way up.”
Stassi was scheduled to compete in one final junior event in November in France, but likely will miss the meet to rest a lingering back injury.
“She wants to make sure her back is cleared because she wants to be prepared for the senior (level) season,” Carpenter said.
Stassi is part of an athletic family. One brother, Nino, is a junior midfielder on the Berlin boys soccer team and another brother, Cristian, is an eighth grader who plays for Columbus United Soccer Club.
Unlike most elite gymnasts, who are home-schooled, Stassi juggles school at Berlin with practice and meets. Her dedication to gymnastics carries over to academics.
“I take only one of my classes online and the rest in school,” she said. “It's hard to balance for some, but it's not that hard for me.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio gymnast Izzy Stassi pursuing college, Olympic dreams
