CORVALLIS — Even if the humble demeanor and bright smile remain the same, sometimes it can feel like there are multiple Jade Careys. At least according to Carey herself. There has always been the next, big thing lingering in the background: World Championships, Olympics, and the painstaking prep for both. But since returning from Paris with another gold around her neck, the 24-year-old gymnastics icon has been able to focus solely on her final season with Oregon State, and checking one more box on an ever-growing list of accomplishments: collegiate gold medalist. “It was really refreshing for me this year to only have to focus on college gymnastics,” Carey said. “I feel like I was able to give a little bit more of myself in and outside of the gym. Especially with only half the routines to do. It was easier that way, physically, because I didn’t have to put in so many numbers. And also easier mentally because I didn’t have something else hanging over my head all season, wondering what was going to happen.” Carey’s collegiate gymnastics career will come to an end Thursday. She will compete for her first individual NCAA championship, having previously captured four silver medals and one bronze. On a résumé that includes three golds at Worlds and two more at the Olympics, a collegiate title has been elusive. “It’s definitely motivated me a lot this whole year, and honestly my whole career,” Carey said. “That’s what every college athlete works for is to become a national champion. Just having nothing else to focus on this year, that’s really it, has helped me perform my routines the way I want to and the way I’m capable of.” The freedom of just being a student-athlete has lifted pressure off Carey’s shoulders. With the intensity of higher-level competition not lingering in the background, she has deepened her bond with teammates and felt freer on the mat, she said. Carey has also been under so many bright lights since she was a teenager that it hardly affects her like it used to, she said. “I’ve had to deal with a lot of high-pressure situations, so that really helped my gymnastics flourish this year,” Carey said. “But just having a team where I can be silly and goofy and fun and have a good time in and outside of the gym, really makes it a lot easier mentally. We say every time before we compete, ‘Let’s just have fun.’ Because we do our best when we’re having fun.” OSU teammates Sophia Esposito, Mia Heather and Ellie Weaver will be among those traveling to Fort Worth, Texas to support Carey at nationals. While the Beavers team came up short of qualifying and Carey will rotate with LSU, the contingent of Beavers should be full-throated. While she’s developed bonds with fellow Team USA gymnasts over the years, being part of a college team is an experience Carey said will stay with her. Regardless of what is next in her career, the years spent in Corvallis were meaningful. “It’s definitely crazy to think back to my time before Oregon State,” Carey said. “I feel like I’m a completely different person. College gymnastics has really allowed me to come out of my shell and fall in love with gymnastics again. It can be really taxing and hard in elite, doing the same things over and over, but being on a team for the first time was something really special.” Carey committed to OSU when she was 14 years old, nearly eleven years ago. In the past eight years, Carey said she hasn’t had more than a week off from gymnastics. Whether or not she brings home gold at her last trip to the NCAA championships, her next move is clear. “I think I want to take a vacation,” Carey said with a smile. How to watch: Carey’s grouping (LSU, Utah, UCLA, Michigan State) at the NCAA championships in Fort Worth will begin competing at approximately 6 p.m. PT on Thursday (ESPN2), with individual champions presented with their trophies at the end of the night. -- Ryan Clarke covers college sports for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at RClarke@Oregonian.com or on Twitter/X: @RyanTClarke. Find him on Bluesky: @ryantclarke.bsky.social.