Floor Highlights Waltz's NCAA Championships Debut

April 17, 2015

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FORT WORTH, Texas — Kentucky gymnastics freshman Sydney Waltz made her NCAA Championships debut and competed in the all-around Friday at the NCAA Gymnastics National Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.

Highlighted by a 9.875 on floor, Waltz scored a 38.525 in the all-around to finish 15th overall in the first of two semifinal sessions. The first session featured six teams, along with six individual all-around competitors.

The 12th Wildcat in program history to qualify for nationals, Waltz was UK’s first all-around competitor since 2002. She was one of 12 individual all-arounders to qualify for the NCAA Championships

Waltz notched her best routine of the championships on floor. In just her fifth career appearance on the event, she earned a 9.875, her second best score of the season. The score was tied for 11th among all gymnasts in the first session and 0.025 points shy of a spot in the top four and Sunday’s individual event finals.

After a bye in the first rotation, Waltz opened the NCAA Championships on uneven bars. She put together a clean routine in her NCAA debut and scored a 9.750.

Waltz then moved to beam, where the freshman recorded a 9.525. After floor, she closed on vault and scored a 9.375 after a fall on her dismount.

Waltz was the ninth UK gymnast to compete in the all-around at the NCAA Championships. With Audrey Harrison competing on beam last season, it marked the first time UK had back-to-back NCAA qualifiers since 1998-99, when Ashley Burkholder and Jennifer Simmons advanced to nationals.

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