Toni-Ann Williams

Toni-Ann Natasha Williams (born November 20, 1995) is a Jamaican American artistic gymnast that competed in college gymnastics for the Cal Bears women's gymnastics team.[1] She has also been a member of the Jamaica national gymnastics team since 2010. She is the inaugural Jamaican gymnast to compete in the Olympics, in 2016.[2]

Toni-Ann Williams
Full nameToni-Ann Natasha Williams
Country represented Jamaica
Born (1995-11-20) November 20, 1995
Randallstown, Maryland, U.S.
ResidenceBerkeley, California, U.S.
Height1.54 m (5 ft 1 in)
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
LevelCollege (2015-2018)
Years on national team2010-2016
ClubUnited Gymnastix
College teamCalifornia Golden Bears
(Class of 2018)
Head coach(es)Justin Howell
Assistant coach(es)Lisa Howell
RetiredMay 30, 2018

Personal life

Williams was born in Maryland on November 20, 1995 to parents, Tony and Marlene Williams. As her parents are both from Jamaica, Williams is eligible to compete for that country in FIG international competitions. Through her mother, Williams is a niece of Jamaican politician Anthony Hylton.[3]

She grew up in Randallstown, Maryland, attended Greenspring Montessori School for eleven years, and graduated from Roland Park Country School in 2014. She is currently attending University of California, Berkeley and is a member of the Golden Bears gymnastics team.

She has three sisters, Maya, Kristine and Zitafa. Her sister, Maya, is also a gymnast on the Jamaica National team.[4][5]

Club career

Toni-Ann trained at United Gymnastix in Reisterstown, Maryland throughout her whole club career.[6] She moved up to Level 10 in 2009 and joined the Jamaica national gymnastics team in 2010.

In 2011, she was State and Regional Champion and competed in her first international competition, the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.[7]

She was hoping to qualify to the 2012 Olympics but was unable because she didn't meet requirements at the 2011 Worlds. In 2012, she was again crowned State Champion.

Williams represented Jamaica at her second World Championships in 2013, in Antwerp, Belgium.[8]

In 2014, Toni-Ann was State Champion for the fourth time in her Level 10 career.

College career

Williams' first season in the NCAA was during the 2015 season for the California Bears.

2015 season: Freshman

Williams quickly became one of Cal's top gymnasts to ever compete in the program, even in her freshman season. On February 13, 2015, during a regular season meet against Oregon State, she broke the school record on vault, scoring a 9.975.[9]

During the regular season, she peaked at #1 nationally on floor on February 23, 2015[10] and has reached as high as #5 nationally on vault (on March 2, 2015).[11] She qualified to the 2015 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships as an individual all-arounder.[12]

2016 Olympics bid

In February 2015, it was announced that she and British gymnast and UCLA gymnast, Danusia Francis, would participate at the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and try to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

References
  1. "Toni-Ann Williams Bio - California Golden Bears - University of California Official Athletic Site". calbears.com. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  2. "WILLIAMS Toni-Ann". database.fig-gymnastics.com. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  3. Walker, Howard (27 July 2016). "Gymnast Toni-Ann Williams chooses Jamaica". The Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  4. "upload/maya%20williams%20bio". unitedgym.org. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  5. https://database.fig-gymnastics.com/public/gymnasts/biography/55567/false?backUrl=
  6. "GymDivas.Us | Online Resource for Gymnasts in the United States". gymdivas.us. Archived from the original on 2015-03-09. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  7. "US Level 10 Gymnast Toni Ann Williams after Representing Jamaica at Worlds - Gymnastike". gymnastike.org. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  8. "2013 Worlds TONI ANN WILLIAMS (JAM) Qualification FX - YouTube". youtube.com. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  9. "Toni-Ann Williams makes history for Cal women's gymnastics in Haas Pavilion | Dailycal.org". dailycal.org. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  10. "Women's Gymnastics National Rankings for: Floor Exercise". troester.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-26. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  11. "Women's Gymnastics National Rankings for: Vault". troester.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-05. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  12. http://www.twuathletics.com/sports/2015/4/1/GYM_0401154904.aspx
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