Denver gymnastics head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart describes junior Moriah Martin as fun, confident and energetic, and despite adversity, Martin has used that positivity to vault her way into the NCAA semifinals and advance the DU gymnastics team in competition this season.
Twenty-one-year-old Martin led the No. 15 Denver gymnastics squad to a fourth-place finish on Saturday at the Tuscaloosa Regional inside the Coleman Coliseum. Martin scored a 39.150 in the all-around to finish fourth, and lead Denver to a 195.275.
“We’re really excited for Moriah, and we know she’ll represent the University of Denver very well on the national stage in two weeks,” said Kutcher-Rinehart. “Moriah had a good night, and most importantly, she went four-for-four. I know she’ll get back into the gym this week, clean a few things up and get ready for Nationals.”
In addition to her accomplishments at the regional competition this weekend, Martin had a record-setting season: On top of hitting career bests in bars, beam, floor and all-around, all since January 2013, she also became the third Pioneer to earn a perfect 10 on vault in Pioneer history at Senior Night in March. As a result, Martin has been recognized numerous times as WAC gymnast and event specialist of the week.
Martin described the moment when she received her perfect 10 as one of the best moments of her life.
“Sometimes you can just feel like you’re going to get a ten, and then you dwell on it when you don’t,” said Martin. “This time I wasn’t thinking about it at all, and it ended up being one of the best moments of my life. The whole team came up and hugged me and I cried. It was great.”
Kutcher-Rinehart attributed much of Martin’s success to her growth as an athlete in past years.
“One of the things we’ve worked the hardest on is form and execution,” said Kutcher-Rinehart. “Things like body position, she’s really taken that to heart. That kind of focus, work ethic, attention to detail—we’ve seen the results of that in her scoring.“
Martin’s strengths have led her to be one of many leaders of the team.
“I think people can lead in different ways,” said Martin. “Everyone has their role, but I’m a very vocal person, so I tend to take control, good or bad. But, I think everyone has a moment to lead, and everyone does a good job of that.”
Kutcher-Rinehart echoed those same sentiments.
“We have great team chemistry, there’s really no superstar on our team,” said Kutcher-Rinehart. “Everyone has really stepped up and created a positive, competitive atmosphere in the gym. That’s one of the reasons we’ve had so much success this year because it has kept everyone focused. I credit the team as a whole for that passion, work ethic and commitment.”
Martin has contributed to the atmosphere in the gym by bringing confidence to the team, according to Kutcher-Rinehart.
“I could go on for hours. [Martin] brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” said Kutcher-Rinehart. “She has a great personality, and she’s a lot of fun; it’s contagious. You almost can’t help but laugh around her. It’s been really good for our team because she can lighten the mood and make everyone laugh. She’s very strong mentally and a rock solid competitor. That, in addition to her personality, gives the team a sense of confidence and is good for the team.”
Martin said that the sense of positivity in the gym has been especially strong this year.
“This year has been really fun. I think the last years have been fun, too, but this year is a little different,” said Martin. “Every meet we did what we knew we could do instead of having any doubts. Being part of a team that is confident in what it can do is a fun experience.”
However, gymnastics has not been without its challenges for Martin.
“Before she came to DU, [Martin] battled back from some pretty significant injuries, including an Achilles’ tendon injury,” said Kutcher-Rinehart. “I have so much respect for Moriah because she has had so much adversity, and she has overcome that. She hasn’t had it handed to her, she’s had to create what she’s become.”
Martin especially credited assistant coach Carl Leeland for seeing past her injuries and bringing her to Denver.
“I had a weird recruiting situation because I didn’t do gymnastics freshman to junior year because of an injury. Carl called me and I came out for a visit, and decided it was right for me,” said Martin.
Martin also cited the challenges of being a college athlete as being a learning experience for her.
“I think the biggest challenge is just adjusting to the schedule,” said Martin. “It’s like a job, and the season can get really hard when you’re competing every weekend. Competition is the funnest and the hardest, so balancing is the one of the hardest things.”
However, Martin manages to keep it lighthearted in and out of the gym.
“She likes to sing, so honestly she’s constantly singing and quoting movies and television shows,” said Kutcher-Rinehart. “It makes it fun for everyone to be around.”
Gymnastics runs in the blood of the Florida native, whose parents met at a gymnastics meet. Martin’s father competed for Ohio State and went to the Olympic trials, and her mother is her club gymnastics coach at home.
“I love my family,” said Martin. “ I think we’re all pretty athletic: My mom does Crossfit like a crazy person, my older sister is a rock climber and pole vaulter and my younger sister does track. We’re all pretty competitive, so when we play a game it gets crazy.”
In addition to preparing for nationals this week, Martin has already started looking toward next season.
“I think I want to just start off with a really good score and continue throughout the season so that we’re ranked in the top ten going into regionals [next year],” said Martin. “I think we have a lot of people coming back, so we’ll be really competitive. It’s my last year, which is hard to believe, but it will be a good one.”
The psychology major hasn’t made any post-graduation plans yet, but intends to to get good grades through senior year.
“I always say I want to do whatever I want wherever I want. I think that whatever is supposed to happen will happen,” said Martin.
Martin will compete at the NCAA Semifinals on Friday, April 19, in Los Angeles, Calif., at Pauley Pavilion.
