Tiffany Byrd Season 2003-04

Tiffany  Byrd was a two-year letterwinner for Nebraska in 2003 and 2004. She was a first-team academic All-Big 12 honoree as a senior.

 

2004 – Senior Season

Byrd saw limited action in her senior season after suffering an injury in January. She competed in two meets, scoring a 9.85 on bars and a 9.775 on beam against Michigan, and adding a 9.85 on beam against Utah.

 

Byrd capped her career by earning her third NACGC Scholastic All-American award and was named to the academic All-Big 12 first team for the first time in 2004.

 

2003 – Junior Season

Byrd was a steady contributor for the Huskers in 2003 after transferring from Alabama. She competed in the all-around against Georgia (39.05), Alabama (39.325), Oklahoma (38.65) and at the Super Six Challenge (39.20). She captured one event title in her junior year, finishing first on floor (9.95) at Iowa.

 

Byrd made her NU debut against Georgia, scoring a 9.725 on vault, 9.675 on bars, and a pair of 9.825s on beam and floor for a fourth-place all-around finish. After a string of four-event meets, Byrd suffered a five-week injury. She made an impressive comeback on bars at the Big 12 Championships, posting a 9.90 to help NU to its third consecutive conference title.

 

At the preliminary session of the 2003 NCAA Championships, Byrd competed on bars and scored a 9.775. Byrd filled in with a last-minute 9.80 beam routine after an injury to fellow Husker Tami Harris, advancing Nebraska to the NCAA Super Six Finals and a fourth-place national finish.

 

Additionally, Byrd was named a Scholastic All-American by the NACGC.

 

2002 – Sophomore Season (at Alabama)

Byrd notched impressive marks for the Crimson Tide on bars and beam en route to Alabama’s fourth NCAA title. During the preliminaries at the NCAA Championships, she scored a 9.75 on bars and 9.85 on beam, as Alabama won Session II with a team score of 197.30. At the NCAA Super Six Finals, Byrd registered a 9.90 on bars, the third-highest score of the night, to help the Tide post a 49.45 team score on bars. She also recorded a 9.825 on beam, as Alabama rolled to a team total of 197.575 to outdistance runner-up Georgia by .325 points.

 

2001 – Freshman Season (at Alabama)

Byrd made her competitive debut on beam at the NCAA Championships for the Crimson Tide. She was honored as a NACGC Scholastic All-American for her academic achievements.

 

Before Nebraska

Byrd competed for Coaches Jeff Wood and Christi Barineau at Orlando Metro, where she was an Elite National Team member from 1998 to 2000. Byrd placed second in the all-around, vault and beam and took third on bars at the 2000 American Challenge. In 1999, she won bars, while finishing fourth in the all-around, at the same meet.

 

Byrd turned in a third-place all-around finish at the 1999 National Gymnastics Festival and added showings of second on vault, third on floor and sixth on beam. At the 1998 U.S. Challenge, Byrd captured the beam title and took runner-up honors on floor and the all-around. At the 1998 National Gymnastics Festival, Byrd won the vault title and finished second on bars and the all-around.

 

Personal

The daughter of Larry and Jeri Byrd, Tiffany was born on April 21, 1982. She has two sisters, Deanna and Diana. A 2000 graduate of The First Academy in Orlando, she was a member of the Headmaster’s Honor Roll and National Honor Society. Byrd also won the Walt Disney Dreamer and Doer Award and served as a Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership representative.

 

Byrd earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Science/Dietetics from Nebraska in 2005. She currently coaches club gymnastics at Orlando Metro in Orlando, Fla.