Kentucky Gymnastics Signs Four to 2015-16 Class
Nov. 18, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky gymnastic team and head coach Tim Garrison announced the signing of four highly-ranked gymnasts to its 2015-16 freshman class.
Sidney Dukes, Alex Hyland, Aubree Rosa and Katie Stuart have signed a National Letter of Intent to compete at Kentucky. The four gymnasts will arrive in Lexington for the 2015-16 academic year and add to the impressive list of signees Garrison and his staff have brought to UK.
“We are pleased to announce this group of young ladies as the newest members of UK gymnastics,” Garrison said. “They all bring great talent to UK, but individually, they are a mix of grace, power & poise that will help us take this program to new heights.”
As Garrison begins his fourth season as head coach, his recruiting class once again brings some of the best gymnasts from across the United States to Lexington. Dukes comes to Lexington from Tyler, Texas, and will join two current UK gymnasts to hail from the Lone Star State. Hyland is from Foxborough, Mass., while Rosa hails from Covina, Calif. Stuart is a native of nearby Duluth, Ga.
Sidney Dukes | Tyler, Texas | Texas East Gymnastics | Robert E. Lee High School
Dukes, from Tyler, Texas, competes for Texas East Gymnastics under the direction of Martin and Stacy Parsley. In 2014, Dukes placed first on balance beam, second on vault and third in the all-around at the Texas State Championships. At regionals, Dukes posted a runner-up finish on vault, finished third on floor and fifth in the all-around to qualify for J.O. Nationals. In 2013 at regionals, she won floor along with a third-place finish on beam and a fifth-place all-around score. At J.O. Nationals, Dukes helped Region 3 win the Super Team event. To cap the 2013 season, Dukes received the Faith of Heart award by Texas Gymnastics for her perseverance through battling two years of injuries and qualifying for J.O. Nationals. Dukes is a student at Robert E. Lee High School and will graduate in the spring.
Alex Hyland | Foxborough, Mass. | Arnold’s Gymnastics | Foxborough High School
A native of Foxborough, Mass., Hyland is a gymnast for Arnold’s Gymnastics and coach Nikki Longo. A four-time Massachusetts state event and all-around champion, Hyland claimed the Region 6 all-around title in 2014 and is a three-time Region 6 champion on uneven bars, in 2011, ’13 and ’14. She has qualified for J.O. Nationals four times, highlighted by a third-place finish on floor in 2013, a fourth-place finish on floor in ‘14 and a fifth-place beam finish in ‘12. At the Sand Dollar Invitational, Hyland won the event in 2012 and ’13 along with a win on floor and a third-place all-around finish in ’14. She also won the Metroplex Challenge in 2014. An honor roll student at Foxborough High School, Hyland is a member of the National Honor Society.
Aubree Rosa | Covina, Calif. | Charter Oak Gliders | Charter Oak High School
Rosa comes to Lexington from Covina, Calif. She competes for the Charter Oak Gliders under the leadership of Steve and Beth Rybacki. Rosa’s 2014 season was highlighted by first-place finishes in the all-around and on balance beam and uneven bars at the Gliders Invite and wins in the all-around and on floor at the Lady Luck Invitational. Rosa has competed at J.O. Nationals in each of the past two seasons, along with the Region I Championships the past three years, where she won all-around and balance beam in 2013 and all-around, uneven bars and floor in ’12. She won three additional all-around titles in 2013, along with five individual event wins. In 2012, Rosa claimed a state title on floor, runner-up finish in the all-around and a third-place finish on beam. A student at Charter Oak High School, Rosa will graduate in the spring before beginning her collegiate career.
Katie Stuart | Duluth, Ga. | Gymnastix Training Center | Lambert High School
From Duluth, Ga., and a gymnast for Gymnastix Training Center, Stuart is coached by Brad McClaren. A J.O. Nationals qualifier in 2013 and ’14, Stuart claimed all-around, uneven bars and balance beam titles at the Georgia State Championships this past season. She finished third on vault and fifth in the all-around at the Region 8 Championships, along with a top-20 showing in the all-around and a 10th-place finish on bars at J.O. Nationals. In 2013, Stuart won the vault title at the Georgia State Championships and finished second in the all-around and on vault and third on balance beam at the Region 8 event. At the 2013 Sterling Classic, Stuart won the all-around title and swept the individual events. In 2012, she won vault and placed third in the all-around and on beam at the Georgia State Championships. Stuart is a student at Lambert High School and will graduate in the spring.
For complete news and updates on the Kentucky Gymnastics program, go to UKathletics.com. Season tickets can be found on UKathletics.com/Tickets. News and updates on the team can also be found on Twitter at @UKGymnastics and at @UKCoachGarrison and Facebook at Facebook.com/UKGymnastics.
