Nov. 20, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky gymnastic team and head coach Tim Garrison announced the signing of four highly-ranked gymnasts to its 2014-15 freshman class.
Kathryn Carlisle, Brittany Furuyama, Corinne Rechenmacher and Sydney Waltz have signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Wildcats for the 2015 season.
Carlisle, from Newark, Ohio, competes for Buckeye Gymnastics under the direction of Kittia Carpenter and Li Li. A three-time TOPs National Team member, she was a level 10 Ohio state champion on balance beam, floor, uneven bars and all-around in 2012 and a Region 5 champion on uneven bars. In 2011, also at level 10, Carlisle claimed 12 first place finishes in six competitions in addition to being crowned an Ohio state champion in the all-around and on floor and earning a Region 5 title on balance beam. Carlisle’s first season competing at level 10 was in 2010, and she notched a first-place finish on uneven bars at the Arnold Gymnastics Challenge along with placing fourth in the all-around and uneven bars at the Region 5 Championship and ninth on uneven bars at JO Nationals. She is a student at Newark High School and will graduate in the spring.
“As well as being a class act as a person, Katie brings an outstanding set of gymnastics skills with her to UK,” Garrison said. “She is a strong competitor on all events, but Katie is truly exceptional on the uneven bars. We are very pleased that she will be joining our squad in the fall of 2014.”
A native of Houston, Texas, Furuyama is a gymnast for Stars Gymnastics and coaches Dan and Ashley Baker. In 2013, she placed first on vault with a perfect 10.0 in addition to a third-place all-around finish at the Alamo Classic. Also last season, Furuyama won vault and finished third in the all-around at the WOGA Classic and won vault and floor at the City of Lights Invite. She placed in the top seven at regionals and finished 14th in the all-around and third on vault at JO Nationals. In 2012, she won vault and placed fourth in the all-around at regionals to qualify for JO Nationals. At nationals, Furuyama placed second on floor, third on vault and finished 17th in the all-around. In the regular season, she won four vault events and three floor competitions, including both at the state championships in addition to a second-place showing in the all-around. In 2009, her first season as level 10, Furuyama finished second in the all-around at the state championships and placed first on floor at regionals to qualify for JO Nationals. She is a senior at Texas Connections Academy.
“Brittany is one of the most powerful vaulters in the country and has scored a perfect 10 on two separate occasions in the last year,” Garrison said. “She is also an accomplished floor exercise, balance beam and uneven bar competitor. We look forward to adding her skill set to the other talented newcomers on our 2014 squad.”
Rechenmacher comes to Lexington from Batavia, Ill. She competes for Legacy Elite under the leadership of Jiani Wu, Yuejiu Li and Jing Wei. Competing at level 10 since 2012, she placed third on uneven bars at regionals in 2013 and qualified for nationals. At the Illinois State Championships, Rechenmacher placed second on beam and all-around and third place on uneven bars after she won all-around, balance beam, floor and vault at the LGA Invitational. In 2012, Rechenmacher won the balance beam and floor events and finished second on uneven bars and in the all-around at the Illinois State Championships in addition to a first-place mark in the all-around, balance beam, floor and uneven bars at the Gliders Invitational. At level 9 in 2010, she won both the all-around and balance beam at the Eastern Championships and regionals. A member of the National Honor Society, she attends Rosary High School.
“We expect Cori to contribute as an all-around competitor,” Garrison said. “She has shown consistency on all events and we are looking for her to fill the very large void left by graduating senior Audrey Harrison. She brings a similar level of gymnastics skill and poise which makes her well suited for the challenge.”
From Findlay Ohio, and a gymnast for Gold Medal Gymnastics, Waltz is coached by Robin Ewing-Bodem, Krystle Cook and Jackie McCarter. She has competed for the last four seasons at level 10. In 2013, she qualified for JO Nationals and placed second on balance beam and vault, fifth on floor and eighth in the all-around and earned an invitation to train at the U.S. National Gymnastics Training Center in Huntsville, Texas. Waltz finished second in the all-around, uneven bars and vault at regionals and was selected as a Region 5 All-Star Team Member in addition to being named to Gymnastike’s Region 5 Best Ten JO Moments. She won three titles and placed no lower than third in the all-around this season in addition to posting wins in every event at least once. In 2012, she placed no lower than second in all-around in regular season competition, which included three first-place finishes. At the state championships, she won the uneven bar and vault competition and placed second in the all-around. Waltz qualified for JO Nationals in 2011 after winning vault and finishing third on floor and eighth in the all-around at regionals. As a student at Liberty-Benton High School, she is an honor roll student and was nominated as an “Outstanding” STRIDES member, a program recognizing leadership at her high school.
“Sydney has the opportunity to make the biggest impact on the UK Gymnastics program since Jenny Hansen,” Garrison said. “She has explosive power on floor exercise & vault, tremendous swing on uneven bars and grace combined with a high level of skill on balance beam. If her performance meets her potential, she will certainly be one to watch next season and throughout her career.”
For complete news and updates on the Kentucky Gymnastics program, go to UKathletics.com. Breaking news, behind-the-scenes updates, photos and more can be found on Twitter at @UKGymnastics and Facebook at Facebook.com/UKGymnastics.
