PROVO, Utah – Former BYU gymnast Elisabeth Crandall-Howell was inducted into the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 13.
As an elite gymnast in her adolescence, Crandall-Howell left her home in Sacramento, California, to train in Arizona. While she had several options at the time, her faith led her decision to make the move.
“There were gymnasts of different faiths on the team and I knew the environment would be supportive and that they would make sure that we were able to go to church and not train on Sundays,” Crandall-Howell said. “They were supportive of the person as a whole.”
Crandall-Howell competed in several international competitions, including the Olympic Trials and World Championships in the early 1990s. Additionally, she held a spot on the USA National Team for seven years.
With these accomplishments under her belt, Crandall-Howell’s faith led her to commit to BYU.
“I could go to BYU and show that anything is possible,” Crandall-Howell said. “Even at BYU, we knew we could produce high results. We’re capable of working just as hard as anyone else.”
In 1992, Crandall-Howell started her collegiate career, pursuing a degree in physical education and health promotion. On a full athletic scholarship, she helped advance her team to the NCAA Championships three times.
Early on in her collegiate career, Crandall-Howell became one to watch. As a freshman, she quickly tied the school record on bars with a score of 9.95.
As a sophomore, she placed third in the all-around competition at the NCAA Midwest Regionals, earning BYU’s highest all-around finish ever (38.400). Just a year later, she topped BYU’s record yet again, earning a career-best 39.200.
Further, Crandall-Howell received two All-American awards, securing NACGC first-team recognition on uneven bars twice. By the end of her college career, she stood as a three-time NCAA Regional Uneven Bars Champion, winning in 1993, 1995 and 1996.
The time spent competing on a team versus competing individually transformed Crandall-Howell’s perspective as an athlete.
“I couldn’t have imagined how much I enjoyed competing with the team,” Crandall-Howell said. “To be honest, when I was competing as an individual, I put so much pressure on myself. I competed from a place that was so focused on not making any errors. With a team, the expectation was now just me putting forth my best effort.”
Current BYU gymnastics assistant coach Natalie Broekman competed for the Cougars from 1996-99. The two met during Broekman’s freshman year and had one year on the team together. This time was enough for the young athlete to see Crandall-Howell’s influence.
“Her career at BYU wasn’t surprising at all,” Broekman said. “She was a real force. She came in with a lot of talent and upped the level of gymnastics at BYU. She was absolutely out to be the best. She was fun to be on the team with and made us all better.”
Following her days at BYU, Crandall-Howell continued to pursue her passion as she served in several coaching capacities in California. Not only this, but she became one of only 16 international brevet-level judges in the United States.
Coaching gymnastics was never a part of Crandall-Howell’s plan early on in her gymnastics career. It wasn't until she took a break from the sport that her appreciation for the sport grew and she saw a potential future for herself.
“The blessing and talent that gymnasts have to do what they do with their bodies is a talent and skill that only a few people on the earth have been able to do,” Crandall-Howell said. “There’s nothing like gymnastics.”
This turning point led her to develop a new philosophy for her training.
“I was going to put in 100% each day,” Crandall-Howell said. “I was trying to improve each day and I needed to be satisfied with that. That is how I was going to define success.”
This shift in perspective made coaching more of a possibility.
“I started to think, ‘Oh my gosh. I would love to coach,’” Crandall-Howell said. “I wanted to share this message with athletes. If they learn that perspective from an early age, they’re going to find so much more joy in the sport.”
One of her most notable coaching positions started in 2012 when Crandall-Howell signed on as an assistant coach at the University of California Berkeley. The experienced gymnast quickly advanced, becoming the 2016 National Assistant Coach of the Year.
By September 2018, she was promoted to be the co-head coach. In her time, the program jumped 33 spots in the rankings between 2012 to 2015. Putting numbers aside, Crandall-Howell hopes to instill a positive mission in her athletes.
“Our team mission is ‘one day better,’” Crandall-Howell said. “You’re always looking for opportunities to grow in every aspect of your life whether it’s how you attack your studies, your skills in the gym or your relationships.”
Reflecting on her career, Crandall-Howell felt humbled by her induction into BYU’s Hall of Fame.
“There have been so many phenomenal athletes and people who have come out of BYU that to even be mentioned with some of those people is an incredibly humbling experience."