Recruit Files: Kielyn McCright, Utah State

Name: Kielyn McCright
Club: American Twisters Gymnastics
High School Graduation Year: 2021

NCAA Team: Utah State
Commitment Announcement: Instagram
Social Handles: Twitter | Instagram 

Personal Bests 

Vault Uneven Bars Balance Beam Floor Exercise
9.275 9.700 9.575 9.400

Videos 

Vault Uneven Bars Balance Beam Floor Exercise
2019 Florida State Meet 2019 Region 8 Regional 2020 Tim Rand Invitational 2020 Sun and Surf Spectacular

About Kielyn

McCright is a 2019 J.O. nationals qualifier. There, she tied for sixth place on both bars and beam (Senior A). In 2019 she was second on bars and beam at the Florida state meet and in the all around at Region 8 regionals. She is also the 2019 regional co-champion on bars. In 2020, while recovering from an elbow injury, McCright competed only on beam and floor.

What She Brings to Utah State

Vault

  • Skill: Yurchenko layout
  • Results: tied seventh place at the 2019 Florida state meet (career high)
  • Margin of Improvement: She could improve her body position in the air, as it is still a bit piked.
  • Impact on the Team: Utah State failed to break into the 9.9s on vault in 2020, but its lineup was solid. It will want to avoid having to use a 9.75 start value, but McCright still has a year of club gymnastics to upgrade.

Uneven Bars

  • Skills: Maloney to Pak salto, double tuck dismount
  • Results: tied first place at the 2019 Region 8 regionals (career high)
  • Margin of Improvement: She will want to upgrade her dismount in order to have a 10.0 start value in college.
  • Impact on the Team: McCright excels on bars and, if she upgrades her dismount, she will be expected to contribute from the start.

Balance Beam

  • Skills: full turn, BHS + back tuck somersault, side aerial to leap jump, cat leap + side aerial + full twist dismount
  • Results: first place at the 2020 Tim Rand Invitational (career high)
  • Margin of Improvement: She has a slight knee bend on her back handspring and her dismount could have more amplitude, but McCright is an excellent beam worker.
  • Impact on the Team: When McCright arrives at college, Utah State will have graduated one of its best beam workers in Autumn DeHarde. McCright will not make the Aggies feel her loss too much. 

Floor Exercise

  • Skills: double turn with the leg held horizontal, roundoff + whip + double twist/double pike, 1.5 twist to front pike, Rudi
  • Results: third place at the 2019 Florida state meet
  • Margin of Improvement: She could point her toes on her double pike and be just a bit more confident on her landings, but her floor work is exquisite.
  • Impact on the Team: In 2021, Utah State will graduate its two best floor workers: DeHarde and Leighton Varnadore. McCright, if healthy, will be expected to contribute to the lineup from the start.

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Article by Talitha Ilacqua

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