Kytra Hunter: 20 year career has found much success
Friday, February 21, 2014 | Gymnastics
By Jimena Panduro, UF Communications
It's been written before that the words that marked the start of Florida junior Kytra Hunter's gymnastic career were, “you better bring her back”.
They came from a coach at a local YMCA in Texas. They were directed at her parents, mostly because Hunter was too young to completely grasp their significance.
Back then, she was just a bouncy, energetic and fearless two year-old who loved to jump on things, including a foam pit inside a gymnastics studio. Her parents couldn't hold her back, so they decided that perhaps the coach did have a point.
Twenty years later, those five words have spanned a career of marvel and success. A member of the 2013 Gators NCAA championship team, a nine-time All-American, the 2012 NCAA all-around and vault champion - Hunter's career has only gotten bigger and better as the years have gone by.
Born in Texas, Hunter moved when she was younger due to her father's military career. After eventually settling down in Maryland, she started to really give gymnastics a more serious look.
Just like any other young child however, albeit one with perhaps a little more energy and strength than others, Hunter did dabble in another discipline: karate.
“I was a little tomboy,” Hunter said with a laugh.
Even though Hunter admitted that karate was fun, she said it was never close between the two sports.
“I never had a problem deciding which sport I wanted to do; gymnastics was always the first option.”
Picking a university to attend wasn't such a clear choice. Hunter knew she wanted to attend a Southeastern Conference school but didn't know which one. In fact, Florida was not a part of her original options, but ties to the Orange and Blue came in the shape of teammates and ex-Florida gymnasts Corey Hartung and Erinn Dooley.
She had seen them compete before, but it wasn't until her club coach Kelli Hill (and club coach to Hartung and Dooley) suggested that Hunter visit the Sunshine State that she finally realized that this was the new place she would call home.
Once she landed amongst the palm trees and sunshine, she was sold. There were also a few other important factors that made this decision a no brainer for Hunter.
“Once I got to campus and met Rhonda (Faehn), Adrian (Burde) and Rob (Ladanyi), I fell in love with them. I knew that the school I chose would need to be my home away from home. It's good to have coaches that I'm close to because I get homesick really easily. I knew coming to Florida would be the best choice for me,” she said.
Now on her third season with the Gators, Hunter's career continues to impress and the accolades keep on rolling in.
Her latest accomplishment was a perfect 10.0 vault last Friday during Florida's home meet against Arkansas. She joins Susan Hines (1997 and 1998 NCAA vault champion) and Savannah Evans as the only Gators to ever attain a perfect mark on the event. That 10.0 is her third of 2014, as she posted the mark for floor exercise in the Gators' final two meets of January.
Inside the gymnastics practice facility there is a wall that showcases all of the Florida gymnasts who have attained a 10.0 during their Gator careers. That wall was updated this summer after Mackenzie Caquatto's flawless routine on bars in the 2013 season. Plans to re-do it again are in order to include Hunter's and teammate's Bridget Sloan's perfect marks this season.
Five tens will do that; three for Hunter, two for Sloan.
To get that score in front of her home crowd made the moment all the more special.
“It felt incredible; I think everyone can see it on my face. It was so special to do it at home too because we have so many fans which makes it much more fun. Just having everyone behind you, clapping and doing the gator chomp – I mean, you can hear it. We feed off the crowd and that definitely helps us,” Hunter said.
All of this has only helped make the team stronger and brought them closer together, something that Hunter really enjoys, as teamwork is the key to success.
“It definitely brings the team together. It helps us push everybody and it's awesome. It keeps us competitive and that's what makes everything so fun. Not just us, but with the overall team score. It definitely shows how great this team is and how great the coaches are,” she said.
Tonight's meet versus No. 3 LSU represents a little bit more than just any other meet. Both teams will put aside their school colors and rock pink leotards instead. Tonight is the eighth annual Link to Pink meet, where breast cancer survivors are recognized for their endless fight, bravery and courage.
For Hunter, this meet signifies more than any 10.0 or any award she could ever receive.
“My grandma on my mom's side, she passed away from breast cancer in 2005. Breast cancer runs in my family; my dad's mom a scare a couple of years ago, too. Just being able to go out there and compete for my grandma, it means a lot. Link to Pink is my favorite meet. Just to see all of the survivors and seeing a smile on their faces is incredible. I love to see people smile, I love to see them happy.”
“Link to Pink is one of the best meets of the season. We compete for the angels that are looking down upon us,” Hunter said.
Kytra Hunter's talent has taken her to the top of collegiate gymnastics, but it is her strong family values that help her be a better human being, and in turn, a better student-athlete.
