LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The University of Kentucky gymnastics squad welcomes the addition of four signees for the 2006-07 season head coach Mo Muhammad announced Tuesday. Jamie Reimann (Johnston, Iowa), Emilie Rymer (Medina, Ohio), Emily Green (Fairport, N.Y.) and Hillary Ferguson (Richmond, Ky.) all signed National Letters of Intent with the Cats.
?I feel that this is one of the strongest recruiting classes that we have had at UK,? Muhammad said. ?This class will definitely bring us closer to our goal of becoming one of the elite programs in the country.?
Reimann, a current senior at Johnston High School, has been competing at Level 10 for five years and has participated at the Level 10 Junior Olympics the past four years. Reimann is no stranger to national competition, owning multiple top-15 finishes, including an 11th place finish on bars at the 2004 National Championships. Reimann competes for Cardinal Gymnastics Academy in Ames, Iowa.
?Jamie not only brings to us four strong events, but also the knowledge of collegiate competition having trained with successful college coaches,? Muhammad said. ?I am looking forward to the depth that she will bring to our program. I feel that she will be making a big impact in the lineup and will definitely challenge for the starting spot in every event.?
Rymer, a member of the Medina Gymnastics Academy, has participated at Level 10 for five years. At the 2004 National Championships, Rymer placed third of bars and sixth on floor. In 2005, she finishes fifth in the all-around (37.600), seventh on vault (9.650), eighth on bars (9.450) and ninth on floor (9.525) at the Junior Olympic National Championships. In state prep competition, the Ohio native took home four individual titles, including the all-around crown. For her efforts, Rymer was named Cleveland Plain Dealer Gymnast of the Year and also appeared in Sports Illustrated ?Faces in the Crowd?.
?Emilie is a phenomenal gymnast with a lineage of athleticism,? Muhammad said. ?Her mom was an outstanding track athlete at UK. I am so excited to have Emilie as a Wildcat gymnast because she brings to our program a great deal of accomplishments and a winning attitude. She does not waste time and attacks the task ahead of her. She possesses a strong foundation in her fundamentals and has accomplished an enormous amount at a young age. I am looking forward to Emilie making an immediate impact on all four events and having a major role in elevating this program to prominence.?
Green currently competes with The Gymnastics Training Center of Rochester where she has competed Level 10 for the past three years. Last season, Green won the floor competition at the USAG state meet, while placing in the top seven in the all-around and on floor at Junior Nationals. At the recent Empire State games, Green was a four-time champion, winning the all-around, vault, floor and team titles.
?Emily is unassuming and hard working,? Muhammad said. ?I am looking forward to the impact she will have on this team. She possesses a strong work ethic and is very competitive. She brings to us four strong events and competes well. I look at Emily as a winner; one who strives to be the best at whatever she does. Emily will definitely impact this team immediately. She also brings a wealth of accomplishments and is a breath of fresh air.?
Ferguson is a three-time state champion with Lexington?s own All-American Gymnastics. The Richmond native has qualified for nationals twice, including a third place finish on the floor and vault at last year?s championships.
?Hillary is probably one of the most powerful gymnasts around,? Muhammad said. ?She has four strong events and an immense desire to win. She competes well under pressure and has accomplished numerous first places in her career. Her strongest events are the floor and vault and I feel she could be an All-American on those two events immediately. Hillary is tough and relentless. She, also like Jaime, is familiar with the collegiate program having been around it almost all of her life. She will definitely play a major role in making this program one of the elite programs in the country.?
Next year?s squad is expected to be as diverse as ever, boasting student-athletes from 10 different states.
The Wildcats will host the Blue/White meet, Saturday, December 10th at Memorial Coliseum and kick off the 2006 regular season home campaign with ?Excite Nite?, Saturday, January 14th.
