Many people spend their entire lives in search of their true calling but never find it. Others accidentally stumble upon their fate.
But for LSU senior Sam Engle, she was drawn to her destiny from birth.
Engle’s mother Sandy Holsaple was a collegiate gymnast for a year at the University of Montana and went on to coach gymnastics in Wyoming and Texas, while also being a nationally rated gymnastics judge.
From her earliest days, the Plano, Texas, native would spend hours on end in the gym with her mother.
“When she was born I was coaching in the gym. And so when she was a baby I’d take her to the gym with me, and I’d put her in a little donut mat, and that was her area,” Holsaple said. “When she was old enough to climb out of that, she was all over the gym. She just grew up in the gym, and she loved it.”
In high school, Engle won the all-around at the Level 10 Junior Olympic National Meet in 2005. Following an injury in 2006, she returned to win the floor exercise title at the meet in 2007.
She was recruited by nearly every major program and appeared ready to commit to Missouri before taking a visit to LSU. The trip to Baton Rouge was Engle’s first to Louisiana despite living in Texas since she was 3 years.
“I came on campus, and I just loved it,” Engle said.”I loved all the coaches, the campus is beautiful, and the team was awesome. I just fell in love with it.”
Engle arrived on campus and made an immediate impact. As a freshman, she competed on the balance beam and floor exercise in all but one meet.
She also set her career high on the floor in 2008 when she scored a 9.900 against Washington.
Engle made an splash on the national stage last season, garnering Second Team All-American honors on the uneven bars. She also set a career high on the bars during the 2010 season with a 9.950 against Texas Woman’s and a 9.925 on the balance beam against Centenary.
After coming to LSU as part of a four-person signing class, injuries forced fellow gymnasts Nikki Lyons and Staci Schwitkis to hang up their leotards for good. Injuries also prematurely ended Paige Cipolloni’s days of competition, but she has remained a part of the program by taking on a managerial role.
Those injuries have left Engle as the lone senior on the Tigers’ 2011 roster.
“She’s done a phenomenal job being the only senior with a huge group of underclassmen,” said junior Ashley Lee. “She has some big shoes to fill with the four seniors last year who left. She’s done a really good job, and she’s been leading by example.”
Last year’s seniors — Sabrina Franceschelli, Summer Hubbard, Susan Jackson and Kayla Rogers — have left her a tough act to follow. Engle, however, was not fazed but thankful for the example left by her predecessors.
“They showed me how to act,” said Engle, who is an only child. “Susan was very influential to me. … I loved watching her. She was always calm, never worried about anything. Summer was always very peppy. Sabrina was consistent, and Kayla you could go to for anything.”
While Engle may not always be the most vocal team member, her endearing personality has won her the hearts of all who spend time with her.
“I love her,” said Cipolloni, Engle’s roommate. “She’s my best friend. She will be my best friend, my maid of honor in my wedding. She’s a really great person and a really great leader on the team.”
 
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Contact Rob Landry at [email protected]