Hangin' with the Huskers: Kylie Stone

Senior Kylie Stone leads Nebraska in 2010 after earning her second All-America award in 2009. She captured the first event title of her senior season against Washington, with a 9.85 on beam. The mark tied her career-high score. She posted a new season-high of 9.85 on bars against Minnesota and Illinois on Jan. 15 and took the event crown. Stone posted a season-high 9.85 on bars, and came in second on vault (9.80) against Michigan. She earned her second bars crown of the season with a 9.825 on the event against Missouri on Jan. 30.

The Calgary, Alberta, native was named the 2009 Co-Big 12 Gymnast of the Year after winning 18 individual titles, including five in the all-around and seven on floor. She was named Big 12 Gymnast of the Week four times as well as being named All-Big 12 and to the All-Big 12 Championship Team.

Stone was Nebraska's lone competitor at the 2009 NCAA Championships. She took fourth in the all-around at the NCAA Southeast Regional to advance to the NCAA Championships. At nationals, Stone again proved her will and determination. After suffering an injury in practice the week before the meet, she turned in a solid bars performance to score a 9.85 and earn second-team All-America honors. In this edition of "Hangin' with the Huskers" we thought we'd get to know Stone a little bit better.

How is the team feeling now that you are a few meets into the season?
"I think that as we get more into season, I get more and more excited to compete. We start to feel more comfortable being out on the floor and we feel more confident with ourselves and our teammates as well. Instead of having the beginning of the year jitters we know we can go out there, do our routines and still have fun."

What kind of things have you worked on in practice this week to prepare for the meet on Friday?
"When we got back from Oklahoma we worked a ton on handstands on bars. That was our main area of deductions that us during the meet. We have also been working hard on our landings on all four events. Tim (Garrison) is a huge advocate for landing drills, and I think that is a major area where we can get those points and really excel as a team. Danna (Durrante) has also been working on dance with a lot of the girls - pointing toes, head placements, smiling - selling our routines to the crowd and the judges. It is those minor details that separate the top teams."

What were the team's goals heading into 2010?
"In past years we tended to make long term goals without making any short term goals, which I think hurt us. This year we made the long term goals of winning Big 12's, being in the top two at regionals and being in the Super Six. We all sat down and brain stormed ways to get there - making sacrifices, having each other's back in the gym, picking someone up when they are having a bad day, staying positive, quality over quantity, etc. We are all taking the leadership role in and out of the gym so that we can all make it to those long term goals."

Who do you think has been the biggest surprise so far in 2010?
"Honestly, this team surprises me every day; not only with gymnastics but also with the leadership role. If something is hurting the team, everyone has the responsibility to stand up and either call people out or help make a change. The girls come in the gym everyday with a positive attitude, throwing all outside distractions aside and eager to reach those everyday goals that we set for ourselves. If someone has a bad day, there is always someone else there to pick them up. Everything we do is for the betterment of the team."

What are your personal goals for your senior season?
"I want to contribute to the team as much as possible on all four events but also be the person to help out on the sidelines. I like to make people laugh and have fun, and I think sometimes that helps out the people with the jitters. The more fun we are having (yet remaining focused at the same time) the better we perform."

The coaches have been resting you a little bit this season, how does that change your mindset heading into a meet?
"I haven't really changed my thinking at all going into meets. I still go in prepared that I'm doing all four events. I don't do a whole lot of pounding in the gym so I've resorted to a lot of visualizing. Heading into the meet at Oklahoma, I didn't know I was competing beam until we marched out and started 30 sec touch. I had a moment of jitters but Danna told me two things: You know what to do to stay calm and remember to think about your words. I realized that my body knows exactly how to do the skills, since I've done them for so long, over and over again. I just need to believe and trust that my mind does too."

Which opponent are you most excited to compete against this year?
"Utah. I love the environment in their arena and I get to see Annie (DiLuzio)!"

What do you enjoy most about competing at the Devaney Center?
"Our fans. This year we haven't hit the crowd number yet but they totally make up for it in loudness. At our last home meet I think I went deaf in one ear from some of the little gymnasts screaming as I ran past for vault. Our team wouldn't be the same without them!"

What has been your favorite bonding activity with the team so far this year?
"I decided that we should have a team camp out, with tents, sleeping bags, camp fire - the whole enchilada. I thought it would be hilarious because some of the girls on our team don't really seem like the outdoorsy bunch. It was supposed to be a bit cooler so we decided to camp out at Maddie's (Steinauer) house (she lives out in the country) just in case it got too cold. It ended up that the one weekend I chose to live in the outdoors, it snowed! At 1 a.m. the one tent collapsed and the other one started leaking snow onto my head. In the end, we all ended up camping out in Maddie's basement."

What is your favorite movie?
"I love a lot of movies but the one movie that I can watch over and over again is 'Twister,' because I love natural disasters."

Do you have any superstitions?
"I have to touch the outside of the plane before boarding it. The one time I forgot to do so, I lost my passport and missed practice. It wasn't a fun experience."

What is something you know now that you wish you knew as a freshman?
"There are three things I wish I knew then:
1. Be yourself and find out what makes you happy - I spent a lot of time trying to be something that I wasn't or trying to be someone else. In the end I didn't like who I was becoming. I found things that made me truly happy - different friends, going to church more often with my roommates, watching movies, reading - the simple things.
2. Don't take life for granted. There are other things in life that are way worse than the everyday dramas. I never realized how great of a life I had until I started teaching. We have a roof over our head, food to eat, a bed to sleep in, love, school paid for, and etc. Some of the kids I taught don't have any of that. It makes all the huge problems in life that I thought I had, turn into absolutely nothing.
3. Don't procrastinate! I've gotten a lot better but I used to be the queen of procrastination!"

Who was your favorite gymnast growing up?
"My old coaches were Romanian so I grew up loving the Romanian team. I loved watching Simona Amanar and Gina Gogean."

What is your favorite Disney movie?
"Can you really have ONE favorite Disney movie?"

What would you like to do after school and gymnastics here at Nebraska?
"I want to take a year off and travel. I would love to see Africa, Fiji or the Mediterranean. Then I want to teach. I think it would be cool to teach overseas."

If you could on a vacation anywhere right now, where would you go?
"Fiji."