Kendall Beck
Encyclopedia
Kendall Rhea Beck is an artistic gymnast
from the United States
.
She was a member of the US junior national team from 1996–1997, and was the US national junior vault
champion that year. She was a member of the senior national team from 1997–2000. In 1997, she was the US national beam
champion, and was known for a connected full twist on the beam. She was a member of the World Championship team in 1997 that finished sixth place.
Although she suffered many injuries from 1996–1999 (back injury after 1996 nationals and two ACL
injuries, one of which kept her out of the 1998 Goodwill Games
), she was selected as a member of the 1998 USA Pacific Alliance Team and the 1998 International Team Competition team, both which earned gold medals. Beck suffered a third ACL tear just before the 1999 US Classic. Despite suffering three ACL tears in four years, Kendall finished 3rd on vault and 10th AA at the USA National Championships in 2000, earning her one of 12 competitor positions at the USA Olympic trials. Unfortunately she was forced to withdraw from that competition after only one event with another injury.
Kendall received a full gymnastics scholarship
to Stanford University
in the fall of 2000, but was unable to compete her freshman year due to her 4th ACL injury suffered in training. Kendall came back in 2001 to compete her sophomore year earning All-American honors on vault at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships
. Kendall was the first ever Stanford gymnast to earn a perfect 10 on the vault. She competed her junior year on a torn shoulder labrum, had it repaired in the summer along with a fifth knee surgery, and returned to help the Stanford Cardinal win the PAC-10 Championships
and to achieve a first-ever top three finish at the 2004 NCAA Championships in Los Angeles. She graduated from Stanford in 2004 having been named as an Academic All-American and is attending medical school.
Artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
She was a member of the US junior national team from 1996–1997, and was the US national junior vault
Vault (gymnastics)
The vault is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the skill performed using that apparatus. Vaulting is also the action of performing a vault. Both male and female gymnasts perform the vault...
champion that year. She was a member of the senior national team from 1997–2000. In 1997, she was the US national beam
Balance beam (gymnastics)
The balance beam is an artistic gymnastics apparatus, as well as the event performed using the apparatus. Both the apparatus and the event are sometimes referred to as simply "beam". The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is BB....
champion, and was known for a connected full twist on the beam. She was a member of the World Championship team in 1997 that finished sixth place.
Although she suffered many injuries from 1996–1999 (back injury after 1996 nationals and two ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
injuries, one of which kept her out of the 1998 Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
), she was selected as a member of the 1998 USA Pacific Alliance Team and the 1998 International Team Competition team, both which earned gold medals. Beck suffered a third ACL tear just before the 1999 US Classic. Despite suffering three ACL tears in four years, Kendall finished 3rd on vault and 10th AA at the USA National Championships in 2000, earning her one of 12 competitor positions at the USA Olympic trials. Unfortunately she was forced to withdraw from that competition after only one event with another injury.
Kendall received a full gymnastics scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in the fall of 2000, but was unable to compete her freshman year due to her 4th ACL injury suffered in training. Kendall came back in 2001 to compete her sophomore year earning All-American honors on vault at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships
NCAA Women's Gymnastics championship
The NCAA introduced Women's Gymnastics as a championship sport in 1982. Since then, only four universities have claimed the overall Division I championship; Division II competition was discontinued in 1987. During the early years of competition, the University of Utah under the leadership of head...
. Kendall was the first ever Stanford gymnast to earn a perfect 10 on the vault. She competed her junior year on a torn shoulder labrum, had it repaired in the summer along with a fifth knee surgery, and returned to help the Stanford Cardinal win the PAC-10 Championships
Pacific Ten Conference
The Pacific-12 Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
and to achieve a first-ever top three finish at the 2004 NCAA Championships in Los Angeles. She graduated from Stanford in 2004 having been named as an Academic All-American and is attending medical school.
External links
- http://www2.usa-gymnastics.org/bios/archivedbios/b/kbeck.html