Utah gymnastics is getting an additional reinforcement for next season.
The Red Rocks already had one of the top signing classes in the country — rated No. 5 overall by College Gym News after signing day in November — with three five-star signees in Elizabeth Gantner, Camie Winger and Ella Zirbes.
On Thursday, Utah added another signee in Olivia Kennedy — a longtime Utah commit and two-time Junior Olympic national championships qualifier.
Kennedy committed to Utah in November 2021 and will begin competing for the Red Rocks next season, along with Gantner, Winger and Zirbes.
“We are looking forward to Olivia joining our program this upcoming fall,” Utah head coach Tom Farden said in a media release. “She brings a love for gymnastics that is infectious and has an incredible work ethic that will be valued in our gym.”
From Maryville, Tennessee, Kennedy trains at Georgia Elite Gymnastics in Watkinsville, Georgia, and will come to Utah with her fair share of accolades. Among them:
- She is a seven-time Region 8 championships medalist.
- Most recently, she earned two medals at the 2022 Region 8 championship meet (she was the silver medalist in the all-around and on bars).
- She also finished fourth on floor and fifth on vault in the Region 8 competition.
- At the state level, Kennedy has earned 10 medals in total, including a medal finish on beam in all but one state competition.
- She finished third on beam at the 2022 Georgia State Championships and was the runner-up on beam in the same competition in 2021.
- In 2018, Kennedy was the state champion on vault and bars, and finished third place in the all-around.
One additional item of note — Kennedy is currently training a 10.0 valued vault, which, per Farden, “could boost our lineup on that event.”
With Kennedy in tow, Utah’s 2023 class is now rated No. 4 overall, behind only Georgia, Stanford and Alabama.
Utah’s 2024 recruiting class is highly rated as well, currently sitting at No. 3 in the country thanks to commitments from the top overall recruit — South Jordan’s Avery Neff — plus additional five-stars athletes in Zoe Johnson and Clara Raposo.