Kentucky Gymnastics Sparked by Brose's Return
Injuries can be tough on athletes who are forced to watch from the sidelines while their teammates compete. However, for Kentucky gymnast Creslyn Brose, being sidelined turned into an opportunity.
Brose missed the first two meets of the season, but she used her time wisely, becoming a leader and giving confidence to her fellow Wildcats.
“I had to kind of step into a new role, I was out for about four and a half weeks,” Brose said. “I needed to be the person that’s going to bring up the team spirit, positivity, cheer, move mats if needed, and be there for somebody if they need a little pep talk.”
Although she wasn’t able to compete, Brose saw the importance of pushing teammates to just have fun.
“I think it’s important to have fun out there,” Brose said. “Trying to keep it light-hearted.”
Brose returned to full competition on January 23 at No. 4 LSU and was very excited to get back to the sport she loves.
With Brose back, the team had more confidence, most notably on floor. That’s where Brose shines, as she has received a score of 9.9 or higher on 28 of 31career floor routines and is just the fourth Wildcat gymnast to receive a perfect 10.0, doing so in 2025 on the floor.
This season, Brose wanted to mix up her floor routine a bit. She collaborated with teammate Cadence Gormley to produce the final product.
“We love to pick each other’s brains on this kind of stuff. It’s probably one of my favorite (routines), because I feel like I’m so in it,” Brose said. “So, you’ll hear a little bit of car-like sounds in there, which is fun, and obviously, we had to keep the phone (paying tribute to her 2025 floor routine).”
With a new floor routine comes expanding horizons and stepping outside of the comfort zone, which is exactly what Brose is doing.
“I’ve always done a very performative, cutesy routine, and this year, I wanted to give it more maturity, and I really love the way it turned out,” Brose said. “I hope that (fans) just see that it’s fun out there, especially for the younger gymnast, and see it isn’t about being so serious and tied around what result you’re going to get.”
Looking ahead, Brose is focused on both personal milestones and the team’s bigger goals.
“I would love to get a 10.0 on floor again, even beam too. That would be really awesome,” she said. “All of us have the same goal, successful regionals. We’re hosting regionals this year (in Lexington), so that’s pretty special, and go to Nationals.”
With the team continuing to prepare for the remainder of the season, Brose knows there are bigger things to come.
“We’ve been pushing the gym, I think it’s shown on the floor, and we still have so much more to give,” she said.
With Brose back in the mix, the Cats have taken a step forward, recording their highest scores of the season since her return to the lineup. Brose and the team hope to keep that trend going as the postseason approaches.
