Meet the Wildcats: Sidney Dukes

LEXINGTON, Ky. – In preparation for the Blue/White Scrimmage on Dec. 13, UKathletics.com presents “Meet the Wildcats,” an opportunity for you to get to know a little more about the 2016 Kentucky Gymnastics team. Today’s Meet the Wildcats features freshman Sidney Dukes.

Sidney Dukes, a freshman from Tyler, Tx., enters 2016 after finishing first on balance beam, second on vault, and third in the all-around at the Texas State Championships. A graduate of Robert E. Lee High School, she qualified for the J.O. Nationals where she helped Region 3 win the “Super Team” event. Following her 2013 season, Dukes received the Faith of Heart award by Texas Gymnastics for her perseverance through injuries and ability to overcome them and qualify for J.O. Nationals.

Here’s a bit more on Sidney:

Birthplace: Tyler, Texas.

Parents: Susan & Rory.

Siblings: Garrett & Bryant. 

Twitter Handle: @srd_2015

Instagram Handle: @_sidneyd

Major: Business Marketing

Nickname(s): Sid, Squid, Dukes

The best part of being a UK student-athlete is … The support system and encouragement in and out of the gym.

My goals this season are … To make an impact in gymnastics on the UK team and to become a strong competitor.

I chose UK because …  The program is on the rise and I want to be a part of the excitement.

The biggest influence for me in gymnastics… My teammates because they lift me up when I’m down and encourage me every step of the way. 

My role model in gymnastics is… Aly Raisman.

My most memorable moment as a gymnast was … The first time I made a glide kip on bars. 

My favorite book is … Go Set A Watchman 

My pre-meet superstition is … That I have to have Mentos with me at all times during competitions.

 If I had a derby horse I would name it … “Who” so that when the announcers call out his name, they will say “Who is in first”. 

The best concert I have ever been to … Jason Mraz 

My favorite place on campus is … Common Grounds because I love their coffee. 

The most famous person I have ever met was … Nastia Liukin

 My dream job is to be …. To work in the field of marketing for any major retail company, specifically Nike.

My movie is … Something Borrowed.

The Wildcats kick off the 2016 season with the Blue/White scrimmage on Sun., Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. The scrimmage will serve as a preview to the 2016 season, with the season opener Excite Night set for Fri., Jan. 8 against Ball State at 7 p.m. All home meets will be held in Memorial Coliseum.

For complete news and updates on the Kentucky Gymnastics program, go to UKathletics.com. Breaking news, behind-the-scenes updates and more can be found on Twitter at @UKGymnastics and Facebook at Facebook.com/UKGymnastics.