University of Georgia Athletics
Coming Attraction: Mary Beth Box
January 16, 2016 | Gymnastics
Box Family A Long Legacy For Gymdogs
By Payton Arnold
Every year since 2009, there has been a Box on the Georgia gymnastics team.
It started with Mariel, who competed for the Gymdogs from 2009-12. Mary Beth joined the team in 2013 and will complete the 8-year Box family run as she goes through her senior campaign -- including Monday's home opener at 2 p.m. Monday against Stanford.
Mariel began making a name for herself during her sophomore season in 2010, competing in several meets for the Gymdogs and being named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. During her junior and senior seasons, Mariel cemented herself as a key member of the Gymdogs. The elder of the two sisters competed in the 2011 SEC Championships and scored a career-best 9.9 against No. 21 N.C. State her senior season.
While Mariel's door was closing as a Gymdog, the door for her younger sister, Mary Beth, was just beginning to open. Mary Beth decided to follow in her sister's footsteps and join the tradition-filled Georgia program after careful consideration and some sibling advice.
"She told me, `Do what you want to do and follow your heart,'" Mary Beth said. "She said to me, just like my parents did, to follow my heart and my gut."
During Mary Beth's freshman season, Mariel worked with the team as a manager. The sisters were able to tighten their bond even closer. The adjustment that Mary Beth went through as a first-year collegian was one her sister experienced several years prior.
"We went through the same struggles and I definitely could lean on her and go to her to talk to about anything," Mary Beth said. "She was there to support me in every single way. She has played a huge part in my success here."
With the guidance of her sister and coaches, Mary Beth's career started with a bang. As a freshman, she scored a 9.9 on floor in her first-ever collegiate routine in a meet at N.C. State. She eventually earned the team's Most Inspirational Performance of the Year Award for her achievement, but more importantly proved she was going to be a mainstay in the Gymdogs' lineup for years to come.
Mary Beth followed up her freshman season by earning First-Team All-America honors on beam and Second-Team All-America recognition on floor. As a junior, she garnered a First-Team All-America certificate on floor and had a runner-up performance on beam in the SEC Championship.
Georgia head coach Danna Durante recognizes just how special the younger Box has been in her first three seasons and believes she is set to end her career with a bang.
"She's just a special young lady," Durante said. "She's incredibly passionate about all things in life. When she puts her mind to something, there's no question she's going to figure out a way to get it done. The thing that I'm most excited for is her belief in herself. She would have it and then she would lose it. Now, I see that it's just there. She knows what she has and who she is. Confidence just oozes out of her."
The Box family run of eight consecutive years with a family member on the Georgia roster will come to an end this season, but not before Mary Beth has one last say in continuing what her older sister started, helping Georgia gymnastics remain one of the premier programs in the country.
"It's part of the tradition and the legacy here," Box said. "To be a winning and championship team is something we strive for. We have that in our hearts and just strive to be our best every single day."
Monday's meet will be broadcast live on the SEC Network +.
Payton Arnold, a native of Story City, Iowa, is an intern in the UGA Sports Communications office this year. Arnold is a 2015 graduate of Iowa State with a bachelor's degree in public relations. He is the primary contact for Georgia's soccer program and also assists with football, men's basketball, women's basketball, gymnastics and men's tennis.
"Coming Attractions" is a weekly feature published on georgiadogs.com spotlighting a UGA student-athlete who will be competing in a key home event during the upcoming weekend. Previous stories from this year include:
August 27 - Jasmine Eaton (volleyball in the Benson Hospitality Invitational)
September 3 - Sydney Shultis (soccer vs. Clemson)
September 10 - Liliana Rios (soccer vs. South Carolina)
September 17 - Isaiah McKenzie (football vs. South Carolina)
September 24 - Mariel Gutierrez (soccer vs. Arkansas & Texas A&M)
October 1 -- John Atkins (football vs. Alabama)
October 8 -- Matias Koski (swimming & diving vs. North Carolina)
October 15 - Megan Spencer (volleyball vs. Missouri)
October 22 -- Caroline Brinson (women's tennis in ITA Regionals)
October 29 -- Kendall Kazor (volleyball vs. Florida)
November 5 -- Sterling Bailey (football vs. Kentucky)
November 12 -- Marjorie Butler (women's basketball vs. Stetson)
November 19 -- Meg O'Mara (equestrian vs. South Carolina)
November 26 -- No home events
December 4 -- Yante Maten (men's basketball vs. Kansas State) December 11 - No home events
December 18 - Kenny Gaines (men's basketball vs. Ga. Tech)
