LOGAN, Utah – Utah State head gymnastics coach Amy Smith announced the addition of Amanda Wellick to her staff on Thursday.
 
Wellick, who is making her collegiate coaching debut with the Aggies, joins Utah State after serving as a graduate assistant/manager last year at her alma mater, Arkansas
 
"(Assistant coach) Erik (Lewis) and I are thrilled to welcome Amanda to the Aggie coaching staff and family," Smith said. "We are so excited to add a five-time All-American and two-time individual NCAA qualifier. Her experience as a top athlete at Arkansas, her SEC experience, along with her competitive drive and being on the National Championship floor, will be an asset to the program."
 
Wellick will be the primary coach on vault and co-coach on bars, along with Lewis, who is entering his second season at Utah State. Lewis will also assist Smith on floor this season.
 
"I am beyond excited and honored to be joining the gymnastics program at Utah State and working alongside Amy and Erik," Wellick said. "This team has so much potential and I can't wait to build on the success and foundation that Amy has created. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with these student-athletes and be a part of the Aggie family."
 
Wellick was a standout gymnast at Arkansas. She ended her stellar career by leading the Razorbacks to a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships as a senior in 2018. Wellick recorded a 39.400 in the all-around and a 9.8875 on bars to garner second-team All-American honors – two of five All-American citations she received during her time with the Gymbacks.
 
The native of Wheaton, Ill., was making her first appearance at the NCAA Championships with the team in 2018, as she qualified as an individual all-arounder in 2014 and 2016. Wellick was the first Arkansas freshman all-arounder to ever make the NCAA Championships.
 
Wellick earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2014, becoming the first Gymback to ever be named as such. She also earned all-SEC accolades a total of five times (twice on vault and once each on bars, floor and in the all-around).
 
In 2017, Wellick was one of six Arkansas student-athletes to be named a Red Tie Honoree, which recognizes outstanding community service and academic achievements. That same year, she received the Samantha Cortez Leadership Award. She also received Arkansas gymnastics' Most Outstanding Award in 2015 and 2016.
 
"In doing our research on Amanda, every person we spoke to had nothing but great things to say about her, and had the highest amount and respect for her," Smith said. "We were very much looking for a coach that was very technically sound, but even more so someone that could step into the program that Erik and I could trust, because they functioned from a high level of character and integrity and was willing to do what they need to do to put the team in the best position possible. It is clear Amanda upholds all those characteristics."
 
While at Arkansas, Wellick, who ended her career with 33 total titles, competed against Utah State during the 2016 season and led the 11th-ranked Razorbacks to a 196.775-194.825 victory over the Aggies. Wellick tied for first on vault (9.825), tied for fourth on bars (9.800), captured the beam title (9.900), tied for fourth on floor (9.825) and won the all-around (39.350).
 
Prior to Arkansas, Wellick competed for Legacy Elite Gymnastics (Carol Stream, Ill.), where she also coached in the summer of 2018. Legacy Elite was ranked the No. 1 club gym in 2018. Wellick has also been working at Hopes and Dreams (Springdale, Ark.), which had two Junior Olympic National qualifiers and an elite gymnast.
 
"Amanda is very passionate about the sport of gymnastics and is looking to make an immediate impact," Smith said. "We are so thrilled it's going to be here in Logan."
 
In the classroom, Wellick was a three-time academic All-American and two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient. She graduated from Arkansas with a bachelor's degree in business administration (marketing) in 2017, then earned her master's degree in recreation and sport management in 2019.
 
Fans can follow the Aggie gymnastics program at twitter.com/USUGymnastics, on Facebook at Utah State Gymnastics, and on Instagram at USUGymnastics. Fans can also follow the USU athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at UtahStateAthletics.
 
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