UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Jessie Bastardi walked into Penn State's women's gymnastics practice and announced herself to the team as her mom, Jess Bastardi, looked on.
Unlike most current student-athletes, this introduction to the program happened well before Bastardi was ever enrolled in Happy Valley as a student.
"Hey gymnastics girls I'm here," Jessie, a child at the time, would say with enthusiasm to the team whenever she came to gymnastics practice when Jess was an assistant coach with the team.
Jessie would go to gymnastics practice during the week and then attend meets wearing a leotard on the weekend where she would be first in line to high-five the Penn State athletes as they ran onto the floor and call out their names as they ran past.
Before Jessie would go to the gymnastics meets with her family on the weekend, she would wait at home with her dad, Joe, and brother, Garrett, as Jess prepared to coach. Around four or five o'clock in the evening the family would head over to the meet but before they got there they would always stop to eat at Whisker's at The Nittany Lion Inn.
Joe wrestled for Penn State and going to Whisker's when there's a Penn State wrestling match is a tradition among fans. However, he wanted it to be a gymnastics tradition as well, so the family ate at Whisker's before meets while growing up. Following eating at Whisker's, the family went to the meet where Jessie saw her mom and the athletes in action.
"I would watch the girls knowing that throughout that week I was in and out of the gym just running around in the gym we train in now," Jessie said.
Jessie's journey from then to now has been long and has had ups and downs, but the support from her family and pride for Penn State has never wavered.
After coaching at a meet at Alabama while pregnant with Jessie, Jess had her and about a day and a half later after being released from the hospital, Jess and days old Jessie attended Penn State's next home meet.
When Jessie started doing gymnastics at an early age, the gymnasts from Penn State's women's gymnastics team would support her by going to her meets and cheer her on saying "Go Jessie" as she competed. Each time Jessie had a meet, one of the athletes from the team would braid her hair for her.
"From the very beginning she was hooked," Jess said. "She loved gymnastics from the very beginning and she always felt like she was part of the team."
Jessie continued to compete growing up and ultimately became a four-year Level 10 gymnast for Centre Elite Gymnastics. After graduating from Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy in 2017, she enrolled at West Virginia where she planned to compete for its gymnastics program but after the fall semester of her freshman year she decided to transfer.
The State College native decided to transfer to Penn State but did not know if she would be able to join its woman's gymnastics program.
"I wasn't sure if I was ever gonna get to do what my mom did," Jessie said. "I want it to be my own journey too but there's a lot of family and Penn State pride because it's my home."
For the first time since she started gymnastics as a little kid, Jessie was not on a team.
Fast forward a year and now Jessie is competing for Penn State.
Jessie was officially added to the roster in late October of 2018 and has competed in all of Penn State's meets this year.
Two weeks before Jessie competed for Penn State in Rec Hall with her teammates in front of her family and friends on January 19th, 2019, she made her collegiate debut in Salt Lake City, Utah in front of about 13,000 people against Utah.
Jessie stood in the tunnel at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Utah with her teammates and teared up a little before competing for the first time. Jess, along with Jessie's aunts, sat in the stands of the Huntsman Center and cried while watching Jessie compete for Penn State.
Jessie scored a 9.825 on beam against Utah, which helped Penn State earn its highest score in the event since 2004.
With Jess, Joe, Garrett, her godparents and her friends from State College watching from their seats at Rec Hall on Jan. 19, Jessie high-fived the fans who were lined up as she ran out to the floor for athlete introductions when Penn State hosted Ohio State. Jessie, who was once the kid receiving the high-fives from the Penn State athletes, was now the one giving the high-fives.
"It was a long time coming after being at West Virginia and coming back here and not knowing how it was going to work out, it was special," Jess said. "We're grateful for the opportunity Sarah has given her."
Penn State head coach Sarah Brown watched from the floor of Rec Hall as Jessie completed her routine on beam and stuck the landing, which earned her a score of 9.700 against Ohio State and ignited the crowd. While Jessie energized the crowd, she also pumped up Brown, who congratulated her after the routine, and said Jessie has fit in really well with the team.
"She loves the sports of gymnastics and her passion for Penn State is stronger than anybody I've ever met and I feel very lucky to be a part of her journey here at Penn State," Brown said.
Jessie's journey is not over as she wants to compete in more events and as she continues to compete for Penn State she'll have a support system to help her.
"I have a foundation here and I know I have so many people in my corner," Jessie said. "I used to think that it might make me more nervous but I actually feel more supported."
