Sophomore Creslyn Brose with her coaches and teammates after her historic performance against Arkansas.
It was only fitting that on Week 10 of the Southeastern Conference gymnastics season that Kentucky sophomore Creslyn Brose was named the SEC Specialist of the Week.
Brose had her first perfect 10 floor performance against No. 16 Arkansas on Friday to help No. 9 UK edge the Razorbacks with a season-high score of 197.925 points. Kentucky’s floor score of 49.725 was also the third-highest score in program history thanks in large part to Brose’s 10.
“I definitely knew that that was a good routine for me,” Brose told me after Friday’s meet when I asked her if she knew it was a 10. “No matter the score, I was gonna be really proud of it no matter what.”
True but UK coaches, teammates and fans wanted the 10 and made their feelings known immediately when she finished her routine. Brose said the reaction was “incredible” before the score was even posted.
“These fans are amazing. I wouldn’t want to trade them for the world. You can feel the love. You can feel how we’re all just a family,” Brose said. “I really just think that this was the best night ever.”
Brose became only the fourth UK gymnast to ever achieve a perfect score joining UK legend Jenny Hanson, current teammate Makenzie Wilson and current UK assistant coach Raena Worley, Brose’s teammate last year.
Brose, an All-American on floor in 2024, has 18 career marks of 9.9 or higher in only 21 meets — Brose had a previous career high of 9.975 last season. She has also now won floor in UK’s last three meets with a score of at least 9.950 going into the meet at No. 4 Florida Friday night.
Kentucky was trailing Arkansas when Brose hit the mat and her score put UK in front. Teammate Hailey Davis followed with UK’s final routine (9.975) that got a 10 from one judge.
Brose did not know that her and Davis needed those scores to win the match.
“We really try not to worry about the other team. We come here to fight to win, not fight to try not to lose. I think that’s really important. That’s a big motto for us. We were paying attention to them, and we knew that whatever we did tonight we’d be proud of,” Brose said after the Arkansas win.
Brose also performs on beam but first has to watch teammates compete in vault and bars. That normally takes 45 minutes or more and is a long wait after she has gone through pre-match warm up routines.
“For me, the best thing to do is just not overthink,” Brose said. “I think a lot of times when you overthink what you’ve trained to do for so long, it almost counteracts what you’re trying to do. I try to go up there and just know that I can do it.
“I trust in the Lord. I know that he gave me everything and that I have the capability to go out here and do it, so I just trust that. However I do is the plan he has for me.”
Brose seems to be at such a high level now but must maintain that until April for the NCAA Championships. She plans to “keep training, keep praying” and see what happens.
“That’s all I can do, and whatever the results are is how it is that day. Some days might be worse than others, and I’ve been really fortunate enough to have those great days be really good. I’ve just been gaining a lot of consistency. I’m really excited about that, and I’m just gonna try to keep that going,” Brose said.
The UK sophomore celebrated with teammates after her perfect performance against Arkansas but then maybe cried more than anyone during UK’s Senior Night ceremony after the meet ended.
“I was crying, yes, definitely hard. This is a special group. It’s one of a kind, and they are all amazing in their own individual way,” Brose said. “It’s hard because this was the last of the team that us freshmen came in with. They’re gonna be out in the world, so successful, so they’ll be cheering us on from afar.”
