For Arkansas freshman Joscelyn Roberson, the past 10 months have been a whirlwind.
From being named an Olympic alternate in June to traveling across the country with Simone Biles’ Gold Over America Tour, then arriving in Fayetteville to begin her NCAA career, she’s arguably been one of the busiest athletes in college gymnastics this season.
“It was definitely a learning curve,” Roberson said after making her first appearance at nationals—the first Arkansas freshman to qualify as an all-arounder since Jessica Yamzon in 2017. Rotating with Utah in Thursday’s semifinal, Roberson finished in the top 10 in the all-around in session two, tying for ninth all-time among Arkansas gymnasts at nationals.
During her freshman season, Roberson broke or set the Arkansas freshman all-around record three times. She also earned four All-SEC freshman honors and was named a WCGA regular-season and championship All-American on beam.
Coming into the NCAA, Roberson admitted she had no expectations for what college gymnastics would be like. She was aware individuals could qualify to nationals but wasn’t fully sure how the process worked. A 39.600 at the stacked Pennsylvania Regional—arguably one of the most competitive for all-arounders—secured her trip to Fort Worth.
Arriving in Fayetteville midway through preseason, Roberson had to adjust quickly. Taking online classes helped ease the transition, but the pace still felt overwhelming at times. “I [have] to calm myself down and remind myself to do one thing at a time, one day at a time,” she said.
To maintain balance, she’s developed strategies to stay busy without burning out. On rest days, she fully commits to downtime—often by reading. Roberson credits her teammates and coaches for helping her through the transition, especially head coach Jordyn Wieber.
Wieber, Roberson’s childhood idol, played a big part in her decision to commit to Arkansas—and has exceeded every expectation. “She’s an amazing person and an even better coach,” Roberson said. “She always comes in with a smile on her face, and she’s super enthusiastic about gymnastics and getting the work done.”
As her standout freshman season wraps up, Roberson isn’t setting specific goals. Thriving without expectations this year, she hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Olympian Jade Carey by refining her routines to maximize scoring potential—without adding unnecessary pressure.
Her main priority, though? Team culture.
“The elite world is so hard,” Roberson said. “Coming to college is more about being on a team and having fun. That’s my main goal. Whatever else comes out of that is just a bonus.”
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Article by Savanna Wellman
