It had been four years since Stanford women’s gymnastics was represented at the NCAA Championships. On Thursday, fifth-year Kyla Bryant ended that drought, performing the final floor exercise routine of her career in Fort Worth, Texas.
And Bryant went out with a bang — just like the choreography of her routine.
Finishing in a tie for seventh with a 9.9375, Bryant earned First Team All-American honors and now claims the best floor exercise score by any Stanford gymnast at NCAA Championships in program history. The former record holders were head coach Tabitha Yim ’08 and Elizabeth Price ’18.
“She has truly made her mark within our Stanford family as well as the greater gymnastics community. We are so proud of all she has accomplished and were thrilled to see her light up the floor for the final time in Fort Worth,” Yim said of Bryant’s career.
Indeed, Bryant has shown why she is one of the best senior gymnasts in the country. An AAI Award Finalist, she did not score anything less than a 9.900 on the floor exercise this season and claimed three regular season titles in the event.
At the start of the season against California, she earned career bests of a 39.675 in the all-around — more than a tenth higher than her previous high — and a 9.950 on the uneven bars.
In the Cardinal’s second matchup against the Bears, Bryant earned a career-best, near-perfect score of a 9.925 on her Yurchenko full vault, which starts at a 9.950.
Eight days later, in Stanford’s upset against UCLA at Maples Pavilion, she matched her career-best on the uneven bars and was near-perfect again, this time on the floor exercise. Earning a 10.000 from one of the judges, Bryant scored a 9.975 on her dynamic routine.
Bryant toyed with perfection for a third time on Feb. 21 at the Stanford Quad Meet, where she scored a 9.975 on the balance beam.
She earned nine individual titles over the regular season.
Bryant’s five years on The Farm will certainly leave a legacy for rising Stanford gymnasts and will inspire the Cardinal to continue to “flip the script.”
“Kyla, along with our graduating seniors and super seniors, has been instrumental in flipping the script, making history and setting the stage for the future of our program,” Yim said.