Kayla Williams (gymnast)

Kayla Williams
— Gymnast —

Kayla Williams on the podium at the 2009 World Championships
Personal information
Full name Kayla Rose Williams
Country represented  United States
Born (1993-05-08) May 8, 1993
Nitro, West Virginia
Hometown Huntington, West Virginia
Residence Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Height 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Discipline Women's artistic gymnastics
Level Senior International Elite
Years on national team 2009
Gym Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy
College team Alabama Crimson Tide
Head coach(es) Mary Lee Tracy

Kayla Rose Williams (born May 8, 1993) is an American artistic gymnast. She is the 2009 Vault World Champion and 2009 Vault National Champion.

Senior career

Williams began 2009 as a Level 10 gymnast, which is below elite level in USA Gymnastics. In May 2009, she won the Junior Olympic National Championships in the all-around, vault, and floor exercise and won second on balance beam. She qualified to elite level at a meet in June.[1]

After qualifying for the U.S. Classic, she won the vault and floor exercise at that event and placed fifth in the all-around and on balance beam. This qualified her to the 2009 U.S. Artistic Gymnastics Championships.[2] Williams was the first West Virginian since Mary Lou Retton in 1984 to compete at the U.S. Championships.[1] At the U.S. Championships, she won the National title on vault and made the U.S. National Team as a senior elite. Two months later, Williams was named to the team for the 2009 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

At the 2009 World Championships, Williams qualified first on vault. On the night of the vault event final, she competed a handspring laidout Rudi and a Yurchenko double full for a combined score of 15.087 and won the gold medal. She is the first American gymnast to win the World vault title.[3]

Collegiate career

She retired from elite gymnastics in July 2010, but competes in Level 10 and in the NCAA. In May 2010, she committed to compete for the University of Alabama gymnastics team.[4]

As a freshman in 2012, Williams helped lead Alabama to their second consecutive National Championship.[5] As a senior in 2015, she won bronze on the vault at the NCAA Championships.[6]

Personal life

Williams attended Huntington High School.[7]

She graduated at the University of Alabama with a bachelor's degree in Public Relations in August 2014.[8]

As of March 13, 2015 she is engaged to Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kevin Norwood.[9][10][11] As of March 13, 2016 Kayla Williams married Kevin Norwood

References

  1. 1 2 Atkinson, Tommy R. (August 9, 2009). "Spot in nationals fulfills dream for Huntington gymnast". Charleston Gazette. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
  2. ↑ Atkinson, Tommy R. (October 5, 2009). "Nitro native heads to world stage". Charleston Gazette. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Williams vaults to gold at worlds". ESPN. October 17, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  4. ↑ Traylor, Grant (May 29, 2010). "Williams going to Alabama". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
  5. ↑ Atkinson, Tommy (July 22, 2012). "Olympic dreams swapped for NCAA title". The Charleston Gazette. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  6. ↑ Gymnasts Earn Individual Top-5 Finishes at NCAA Championships
  7. ↑ Cline, Carrie (October 21, 2009). "Gold Medal Gymnast Kayla Williams Returns to School". WSAZ-TV. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  8. ↑ http://www.rolltide.com/sports/w-gym/mtt/williams_kayla00.html
  9. ↑ http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/03/watch_former_alabama_wr_seahaw.html
  10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhSLQnERNFo
  11. ↑ https://instagram.com/p/0MadIKj6iS/
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