Sydney Soloski couldn’t have asked for a much better ending to her gymnastics career.
The University of Utah finished in third place at the 2022 NCAA women’s gymnastics championships and Soloski herself received a 9.9125 for the final routine of her career, a floor performance that drew raucous applause from all in attendance at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, not just Utah fans.
Reflecting on her career afterward, Soloski had nothing but good things to say.
“Any finish that we had would have satisfied all of my hopes and dreams,” Soloski told the Deseret News. “I’m just very grateful. (My career) was more than I ever expected.
“I don’t think you can put into words what it means. I am so honored to have had the experience I’ve had (at Utah). I’m so blessed to have it turn out the way it did. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
As it turns out, though, Soloski wasn’t completely done with gymnastics.
On Monday, Soloski shared a selection of videos on Twitter, all of which show her doing various skills on the events she wasn’t known for college, such as balance beam, uneven bars and vault.
One last hurrah if you will.
Sydney Soloski on the balance beam
- Soloski competed on beam early in her career, but not since the 2019 season.
- Her career high on beam was 9.875, recorded at home in Salt Lake City against Georgia in 2018 and at the Baton Rouge regional final in 2019.
Sydney Soloski on the uneven bars
- Soloski never competed on bars during her Utah career.
- Utah teammate Maile O’Keefe was impressed, though, commenting on the video, “You’re literally amazing.”
- Soloski mother, Sherry Soloski, was pleasantly surprised. “I didn’t know you even had a set of grips lol,” she wrote. “Glad to see your shoulders are still attached.”
Sydney Soloski on vault
- Vault was Soloski’s least favorite event in college, but when Utah needed her to vault in 2020, she did, leading off the Utes’ rotation admirably throughout the season.
- She recorded a career-high 9.875 at Arizona in 2020.
- Soloski jokingly called out LSU star Haleigh Bryant, one of the best vaulters in the NCAA.