Village of Oak Creek resident Kiara Bruening picked up gymnastics while on a play date.

Now, at 17 years old, she means business while out on the mat.

Bruening participated in the 2019 Women’s Junior Olympic Level Nine Western Championships field on Thursday, May 9, and did not disappoint.

Bruening finished 8th in the beam, 12th in the vault and 15th in the floor.

“She began competing in 2011; before that, Kiara competed recreationally in kindergarten,” Kiara’s father Cory Bruening said. “Upon graduating from that class, she began attending classes in Flagstaff to hone her craft.”

The event was held in Indianapolis, and over 900 gymnasts came out from all over the nation to compete.

The level nine championships were the culmination of the Junior Olympic Level Nine competitive season and each featured the nine top level gymnasts in the respective regions.

Kiara Bruening qualified for nationals after dominating the region one championships on Friday, April 12.

“Not only did she compete in all four events at the state championship, but Kiara dominated and was able to win,” Cory Bruening said.

Kiara Bruening was slated to take it lightly and rest this season but she was not having it.

At regionals, Bruening placed first in the bars [9.450], beam [9.350] and in the all-around [37.350].

Bruening has participated in competitive gymnastics for more than 10 years, enduring countless competition
and training.

After rupturing her Achilles tendon in April 2018, Bruening’s dedication to recovery and hard work landed her two prestigious honors in the Arizona State Championship and the region one championship.

“Most athletes do not typically return to their full form after suffering an injury like this,” Cory Bruening said. “ What makes it extraordinary is that she worked herself back into shape through physical therapy and rigorous training.”

The region one championship which includes gymnasts from Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California.

After coach Nikos Kentimenos moved to Impact Gymnastics Academy in North Phoenix, Kiara Bruening followed suit to reunite with her instructor.

Without a gym nearby to train, Bruening commutes to and from their Sedona home five days a week for lessons.

In 2019, Bruening moved to Arizona Dreams Gymnastics Academy in Prescott Valley, where she currently trains. This commute is 90 minutes both ways and adds up to 1,000 miles every week.

“Each class is four hours long and involves intense conditioning and strength training,” Cory Bruening said. “Their drills lead girls to progressively improving on the vault, beam and uneven bars.”

Kiara Bruening currently trains under the tutelage of coach Summer Andrew.

For Cory Bruening, his daughter’s focus and determination are the biggest factors to her success.

“I think her ability to recover from such an injury is a testament to how bad she wants to succeed,” Bruening said. “Everyone encounters physical problems such as minor bruises and ankle injuries, but not everyone can bounce back and return to form.”

Up next, she will ascend to level 10.

“One of her goals this year to get an opportunity to perform gymnastics collegiately,” Bruening said. “She is kind of behind in the college recruiting process as she does not have much time to get recognized.”

Kiara Bruening was born in Cottonwood and currently attends Sedona Red Rock High School, where she is a junior.

Bruening’s Achilles injury sparked her interest in Sedona athletic trainer/sports and teacher Andrea Bagnall’s sports medicine class.

“She has really enjoyed that class and has become very interested in a career in that field,” Cory Bruening said. “Now, I think this helped her define what universities to look at that might have sports medicine or something along the lines of that.”

For Bruening, her injury made her rethink the way she attacks the mat.

“I believe the injury made her more detailed at landing or how she would push off the floor,” he said. “Her injury reset her gymnastics as she could not physically do anything but lift herself onto a bar.”

Last year, Kiara Bruening came away with the 2018 Region 1 Championships Level 10 Qualifier.

“Hopefully, she will continue her gymnastics after she graduates from college,” Corey Bruening said.