Gymnastics Signs Four
11/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Nov. 12, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - University of Alabama head gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson announced the signing of four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent today. Kayla Williams, Brooke Parker, Diandra Milliner and Kaitlyn Clark are all slated to join the Crimson Tide in the gym.
"We're very excited about this class and to have them join our program," Patterson said. "They are each very talented and have enjoyed championship success in their careers to this point. Moreover, they have great personalities which I think will capture our fans right away."
The 2009 World Vault Champion, Williams is coached by Mary Lee Tracy at Cincinnati Gymnastics. A member of the United States World Championship Team, the Huntington, W.Va., native won the vault at the 2009 USA Junior and Senior National Championships as well as the World Championships. A three-year member of the Region 7 All-Star team, she won the Junior Olympic National all-around, floor exercise and vault titles in 2009. The daughter of William and Elizabeth Williams, she is a senior at Huntington High School where she is a member of the National Honor Society.
"It just clicked," Williams said. "I knew I would be surrounded by great people and rich traditions. It was the feeling of being a part of a family within my first hour on campus. It was arriving in Tuscaloosa for the first time, and feeling at home."
A member of the USA National Team, Clark is coached by Trent and Jill Spaulding at Precision Gymnastics. A native of Ontario, Calif., Clark finished ninth in the all-around at the 2010 USA Senior National Championships. She was 10th in the all-around at the 2009 USA Senior National Championships and took part in the World Championship selection camp that same year. The daughter of Dan and Monique Clark, she is a senior at Ontario Christian High School where she is a member of the National Honor Society and the California Scholarship Federation.
""I was looking for a program that was very team oriented and I found that at Alabama," Clark said. "That was really an important factor to me. Of the schools I visited, Alabama was the one where I felt like I was at home. It had everything I was looking for and wanted - great coaches, great teammates and great academics. I am so excited to be a part of such a talented team."
A Senior International Elite, Parker is coached by Tatiana Perskaia and Oleksandr Vorobyov at Capital Gymnastics National Training Center. A native of Lorton, Va., she finished 13th in the all-around at the 2009 USA Senior National Championships and was ninth on the uneven bars. The daughter of Michael and Nora Parker, she is a senior at South County Secondary School.
"The coaches, Sarah and David Patterson, Bryan Raschilla and Dana Duckworth, made a great impression upon me from our first encounter," Parker said. "I respect and honor their achievements in the gym, at the University and in the community. I am blessed to be able to be joining a great gymnastics family. I am super excited to be going to Alabama, not only for the gymnastics but for the great educational programs they have available."
Milliner is coached by Mark Folger, Jennifer O'Bar and Jen Flores at Folger's Gymnastics. The Wichita, Kan., native won the vault and floor exercise at the 2010 Junior Olympic National Championships. At the 2009 Junior Olympic National Championships she won the vault and was second in the all-around. The daughter of Traci and Reuben Milliner, she is a senior at Maize High School.
"The moment I set foot on campus everyone treated me like I belonged there, like I was already part of that family," Milliner said. "The people and their spirit towards the school and each other pulled me in and I was hooked. At the end of my visit I decided that Alabama was the school for me."
While the freshman class of 2012 is finishing their high school careers, the current Alabama Gymnastics team is preparing for the start of the 2011 season, which gets underway Friday, Jan. 7 against Penn State in Coleman Coliseum. Season tickets are on sale now at the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.2262) or online at RollTide.com.
