Kiera Kenney is an elite gymnast, and if gymnastics was a varsity sport in the Suburban One League, the Central Bucks South senior would be a household word.
Yes, Kenney – a Level 10 gymnast - is that good.
“I’ve coached her for about 12 years, and of all the gymnasts I have ever coached – and I have coached quite a few good gymnasts who have gone on to receive college scholarships at schools like Penn State, Georgia andWisconsin, Kiera is probably the most decorated athlete we have ever had,” said Bob Schultz, Kenney’s long-time coach at Central Bucks Gymnastics. “At every level she has ever competed at, she has been successful.”
The South senior has turned her immense talents into a scholarship to George Washington University.
Kenney selected GW over a final list that included the University of Pennsylvania – her second choice – and the University of Maryland.
“I visited the campus the spring of my 10th grade year, and before then, I knew I wanted to go to a city school, so right when I got to D.C., I automatically loved it,” she said. “Back then, I didn’t meet the team or the coach, but the campus really attracted me, and they also had my major, which was really important.
“Going to GW on my official visit – that’s when my decision was made.”
Kenney – who will major in accounting and minor in international business – has been competing in gymnastics for 11 years.
She is beginning her third year as a Level 10 gymnast at Central Bucks Gymnastics, and after three consecutive years of attending Level 9 Nationals, Kenney – as a second year Level 10 – qualified for the Junior Olympic Gymnastic Nationals last May in Seattle, Wash., where much of the college recruiting begins.
“My aspiration has always been to compete in college,” Kenney said. “Last year at Level 10 Nationals is when I really decided I wanted to compete at the collegiate level.”
Kenney is the first gymnast from Central Bucks Gymnastics in 25 years to qualify for one of six positions on the Junior Olympics squad representing the region.
It was Kenney’s 9.55 on the vault – her final event – that helped propel her team to a third place finish.
“The one thing she always had is she had the (desire) to win,” Schultz said. “She always came into the gym ready to work and to win. It’s really hard to coach that and get that out of some athletes.
“I didn’t have to push or pull. She just wanted to do it, and that’s what made her so successful. It made my job easy.”
Kenney’s road to Nationals began in the 2009 Regionals last April in Newport News, Va., which featured the best gymnasts in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
She completed the meet with an all-around score of 36.925, but it was not until her last event – the vault where she stuck a 9.475 – that she earned her spot on the national team.
Kenney competes in all four events – the vault, bars, beam and floor. She lists bars as her best event and boasts a personal best of 9.55. Not coincidentally, it is also her favorite.
Kenney’s gymnastics resume is an impressive one.
She was the recipient of the ESGA Most Valuable Gymnast Award two years in a row – an award given for consistent top scoring amongst the Level 10 gymnasts in her Pa. league.
During the time frame from 2004-07, Kenney qualified all three years to compete in Eastern Nationals (Level 9). She was the floor champion at Regionals in 2007, and also was the state champion that year as well.
During the 2007-08 season, Kenney finished second all-around in the Pa. State Championships (Level 10). At the 2009 ESGA League championships, she finished first all around with a score of 36.85. At the Tampa Bay Turners Invitational, she was finished third all around.
Kenney’s success didn’t just happen. It represents years and years of practice and hard work.
“Unlike school sports, we have practice from 6-9:15 at night, and it’s just different because if you compete for school, you’re done early, and you have time to do your homework,” Kenney said. “It’s taught me time management, so it’s actually been helpful.”
This past fall, Kenney elected to give up field hockey to devote her time to gymnastics.
“It really was hard,” she said. “This year is when I really had to decide what I had to focus on, and I really enjoyed playing hockey in 10th and 11th grades.”
The Central Bucks South junior is looking forward to taking her talents to the collegiate level at George Washington.
“They have a really good program,” she said. “It’s smaller than most – they have a 12-person team.
“The coaches are really good - my primary thing is to go to school for academics, and they’re really good at balancing schoolwork and gymnastics at the same time, and they are still a very strong team.
“I’m also really looking forward to the cultural aspects,” she added. “That’s why I want to major in international business, and that’s why D.C. was a good city.”
“That’s a real good fit for her,” Schultz said. “She’s going to be greatly missed.”
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