Freshman Mia Takekawa earns the first 10.0 on beam in #Illini history! pic.twitter.com/miPvbNPHTu — Illinois W Gym (@IlliniWGym) January 10, 2020

In her first collegiate competition at Huff Hall as an Illinois gymnast, Mia Takekawa approached the beam on Jan. 9 like she does every day in practice — with a “boss attitude”.

Takekawa took a deep breath, reminded herself to stay confident and then hoisted herself onto the beam. The Illini freshman immediately started her routine and hit her first skill, a side aerial plus a back handspring stepout.

As Takekawa began her main series, a switch leap gainer layout, she thought of the keywords coach Nadalie Walsh reminded her of just before her routine — tall, push, look, arms, hips, press. Focusing on each skill as it happened, Takekawa stuck her layout and was only a perfect dismount away from securing the 10.

After Takekawa hit the floor, Walsh immediately embraced her.

“After the routine, my team started cheering for 10s then all of Huff Hall was cheering for 10s,” Takekawa told Illini Inquirer. “It made me feel like I was floating.”

The judges answered the crowd's call. Soon after, Takekawa discovered she made history. She was the first Illini to ever earn a 10 on the beam. In her second-ever collegiate beam performance, Takekawa became one of just seven gymnasts in the NCAA to score a perfect 10 so far this season.

“It was crazy,” Takekawa said. “We set a goal as a team before the season to break records. Hearing that kind of affirmed that goal, so that felt really good. But to break records the rest of the season is what we hope to do as well.”

Walsh said while Takekawa’s unique skill set on the beam ultimately led to the perfect score, that team-first mindset influenced the performance. The Illini had a couple falls early in their beam lineup, but junior Kylie Noonan and sophomore Shaylah Scott created momentum before Takekawa’s routine by scoring a 9.900 and 9.925, respectively.

“It was so wonderful, to be able to know that when Mia went up and she got a 10, in so many ways we all got a 10,” Walsh told Illini Inquirer. “She’s on our team, it’s part of our program and it was so exciting for our fans to see that and know it wasn’t the other team that got it, it was us.”

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With 19 years of coaching experience under her belt, Walsh has a pretty good idea if a gymnast has the capability to earn a perfect 10. Walsh knew Takekawa fit the criteria when she recruited the Sacramento (Calif.) native.

“She had a plethora of skills and she had very good fundamentals and basics,” Walsh said. “I think she’s had a lot of prior belief in herself which really, really helps. We weren’t trying to help her to learn that she’s good. She knows that she’s good.”

While Takekawa arrived at Illinois with confidence, Walsh and her teammates have helped her erase any doubts. Takekawa said practicing alongside veteran gymnasts like Noonan and Scott pushes her to match their level of competition and copy their “boss attitude” when they get on the beam.

“The difference between how I performed on the beam then and now is definitely how I come off,” Takekawa said. “Just believing I’m more confident and believing I can own this routine shows in my dance. That rubs off and the judges too and they can see that in my performance as well.”

Once Takekawa had full belief in her skills, condensing her beam routine was a crucial step toward a perfect performance.

Prior to college, Takekawa’s main series including a switch leap, switch half which consisted of a turnaround during the leap. Takekawa said this move always created insecurity, so Walsh switched the series to the gainer layout.

Takekawa had success with her previous routine, qualifying for the Level 10 Junior Olympic National four years in a row, but Walsh felt it had a lot of unnecessary connections and skills. Takekawa’s new and condensed routine consists of two combinations that include a high bonus, meaning the judges have fewer opportunities for deductions.

“I just found a way to combine them into short, condensed and very beautiful skills and combos so that when she does them she can do them with more certainty,” Walsh said. “Once she gets the first two things down she knows she does a full turn and a dismount then boom.”

After gaining comfort with her new routine, the final step was to perform it under pressure. Takekawa said the team’s practices often simulate the high-pressured atmosphere of a competition.

Walsh said the key to limiting gymnasts’ doubts while at a meet is always treating practice like it is of more importance than the competition.

“At the beginning of this season, coach Nadalie changed my routine a little bit so I’m way more confident in my skills and my ability to hit this year,” Takekawa said. “Just the situations we’ve done in practice, simulating the pressure at competitions have really prepared me for being confident in the arena and being able to hit like I know I can.”

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Nearing the midway point of their season, the Illini are 4-2 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten competition. Takekawa hasn’t replicated her perfect performance yet, but has continued to lead the Illini’s success on the beam, averaging a 9.913.

While it’s difficult to keep improving after earning a 10 in the second meet of the season, Takekawa has focused on staying in the moment during every routine.

“I feel like a lot of people have expectations,” Takekawa said. “Coach Nadalie (Walsh) said that whatever people think about your routines doesn’t really matter; as long as you know what you’re capable of and what I can do then I should be able to maintain these high scores.”

Maintaining those scores hasn’t been an issue. Takekawa has scored a 9.875 at both meets following the perfect 10 against Temple and Lindenwood. She also has two event titles on the beam. Having success as an all-around competitor has helped take the pressure off of her beam routine. Takekawa has won three titles on the uneven bars and two for the all-around score.

Walsh said it has been her mission to remind Takekawa the expectations haven’t been heightened just because of her high scores. While they can hope for a perfect score every time, all Walsh expects is for Takekawa to remain confident and continue to value every performance.

“It’s look good, feel good, do good, be good,” Walsh said. “Just being confident walking in and not ever taking any moment for granted. We really talk to them a lot about just because you scored well yesterday doesn’t mean you’re entitled to score well tomorrow. What you do today is going to determine what you do tomorrow. The identity is if you want to be relevant, you have to act like it at all times.”