Blue Devil Alumni Spotlight: Rhian (Paulson) Hauck

Name –  Rhian (Paulson) Hauck
UW-Stout graduation year –  2007
Major –  Vocational Rehabilitation
Sport(s) –  Gymnastics
Years Played –  2002-06
Hometown High School – Stillwater Area High School, Stillwater MN
Currently Reside –  Stillwater, MN

 

Why did you choose to be a collegiate student-athlete at UW-Stout?
I liked the size of the school and campus as well as the athletic facilities. The coaching staff was also a big reason why I came to Stout. They expressed to me that I would be a good fit for the team and that my skills that would help them possibly make it to Nationals as a Team.

What did you like most about competing in collegiate athletics?
The thing I liked most about competing in collegiate athletics was the comaraderie, not only on the gymnastics team but also between all the sports. It was a great way to meet other students and to feel a part of something bigger.

What is the greatest lesson you learned from being a collegiate student-athlete?
To set priorities and follow through with them. There are so many activities you have to juggle that you learn pretty quickly to keep to a schedule and set priorities to make sure you accomplish it all.

Who was the most influential person in your athletic career?
I attended a club called Crowley's Gymnastics Center from the age of 3 to 18 and my coach Sharon Neuman was very influential on my gymnastics career. She was tough on me when I needed it, encouraging when I was fearful and a friend when I needed someone to talk to. She brought me to a Division III gymnastics meet my senior year of high school, Stout vs. River Falls. Prior to that meet I had never heard of Division III athletics and had begun to believe that my gymnastic career would be over at graduation. I am very thankful she introduced me to DIII athletics because my years at Stout were my best and favorite years of my gymnastics career.
 

What is your most memorable or favorite sports moment at UW-Stout?
Competing at the NCGA Championships at SUNY-Brockport my senior year under head coach Becky Beaulieu. I felt like the whole experience was a culmination of everything I had worked for over the course of my 19 years in the sport and it was a great way to finish. I felt like I could finally retire from gymnastics and be completely happy with all that I had accomplished.

How did your teammates describe you as a person and a student-athlete?
I would like to think they thought of me as a hard worker and supportive teammate.

Are you in contact with any former Blue Devil student-athletes? (If so, who?)
Sadly, not as many as I should but thanks to Facebook and Christmas cards we stay informed of what each other are up to.
 
Outside of athletics, what other activities were you involved in at UW-Stout?
I had no other activities outside of athletics, however I was a SEGA coach after practice.

Give us a brief synopsis of your life since graduating from UW-Stout, include job and family?
I married my high school sweet heart, Mike (UWRF) in Breckenridge, CO. I have been working for the past 7 years at a skilled nursing facility in Stillwater, MN called Golden Living-Center Greeley. I work in the Therapeutic Recreation department and am the Long Term Care Activities Manager. Mike and I have two kids, Liam (3yrs.) and Charlotte (8 mos.) We live in Stillwater, MN.

What was your favorite event and why?
My favorite event was vault. I loved the speed and powerfulness of the event. It was my most consistent event and the skill I competed (Layout Yurchenko) I learned at Stout my freshmen year.

You still hold the record for the floor exercise, can you describe that routine and what made is special?
Interestingly enough, as far as music and choreography goes that routine was one of my least favorites. But, the meet I competed in was the NCGA Championships held at MIT so the experience of representing Stout in the competition and getting to see a little bit of Boston will always be special to me. It is the one score out of all the meets I have competed in that I remember and having held this record for as long as I have means a great deal to me. I consider it to be my greatest gymnastics accomplishment and proves to me that choosing to continue the sport as a collegiate student-athlete was the right decision.