Biography: MALONEY, Kristen Ann

Kristen became the first UCLA gymnast ever -and only the fourth gymnast in NCAA history- to score a perfect 10 on all four events. In 2005 she won first place in the all-around, vault, beam, and floor at the Pac-10s, where she also was awarded Pac-10 Gymnast of the Year.

Maloney trained at the in , , and was a consistent member of the U.S. national gymnastics team from 1993 to 2000. She competed in a variety of minor international competitions as a junior elite and, as a senior, qualified for the 1996 Olympic Trials.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS:
2000 U.S. Olympian Bronze Medal Team … (Maloney ended her elite career at the in Sydney, where she placed fourth with the American team and nineteenth in the individual all-around. The fourth place was upgraded to bronze ten years later after Chinese gymnast was found to be too young to compete and the bronze-medal winning Chinese team was disqualified). Two-time (1998, 1999) U.S. all-around champion …Seven-year U.S. National Team member …1999 and 1997 World Championships team member … Gold medalist on beam at the 1998 Goodwill Games … Qualified for the individual all-around finals at the Olympics … Qualified for the all-around, beam and floor finals at the 1999 World Championships…Placed first on vault and floor and second in the all-around at the 2000 U.S. Championships … Helped the team to a second-place showing at the 1999 International Team Championships and placed first on vault and second in the all-around … Earned first place in the all-around, beam and floor at the 1998 American Classic … Led the U.S. to a gold medal and placed first in the all-around at the 1998 Pacific Alliance Games … Placed first in the all-around, bars, floor and team at the 1998 International Team Championships …Placed second on vault and third on floor at the 1997 National Championships … Won the all-around title at the 1997 American Classic … Participated in the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials …Won the all-around, vault and bars at the 1993 Heathrow Gold Cup, her first international event … Trained at Parkettes under coaches Bill and Donna Strauss, Jack Carter and Robin Netwall …

COLLEGIATE COMPETITIONS:
After the Olympics Maloney attended UCLA on a full athletic scholarship and earned nine All-American honors.  She was the first Bruin to score a perfect 10.0 on every event.  She was part of three NCAA National Championship teams in 2001, 2003 and 2004.  During this time she made an amazing comeback from multiple leg surgeries and a two-year hiatus to earn 2004 All-America honors on bars (first-team) and in the all-around, vault and beam (second team). She placed second on bars at the NCAA Championships, recording a meet-high-tying 39.725 in the all-around to help the Bruins claim the NCAA team title. She was the NCAA Southeast Regional co-champion on vault and beam and the Pac-10 co-champion on balance beam, ranking fourth in the nation with an RQS of 9.925.

In 2005, Maloney spent 10 weeks as the top-ranked NCAA gymnast. Maloney also became only the second gymnast to earn All Pac-10 gymnastics team honors on all four events and the all-around. Maloney was named the NCAA West Regional Gymnast of the Year and placed 1st on vault, beam, and floor and 2nd in the all-around. At the 2005 NCAA championships Maloney placed 2nd in the all-around and 1st on vault and beam.

POST COMPETITION:
After retiring from competition Maloney performed for Cirque Du Soleil as an acrobat for the act of power track and as the bird and nymph main characters, for a year and a half. Later she pursued her post-bachelor’s teaching certificate at Drexel University and by taking online courses at Northampton Community College. Maloney is currently in her first season as an assistant coach at Iowa State (2011).   Maloney came to Iowa State after one year as an assistant coach at New Hampshire.  Maloney also spent some time as a gymnastics instructor in New York.

HONORS:
Maloney was inducted into the Pen Argyl Area High School Hall of Fame in September 2010 and into the USAG Hall of Fame in 2011.  She has also been honored by the FIG by having one of her skills named after her in the Code of Points (see attached-pike sole circle backward-LB- through handstand with flight to hang on HB).  Maloney was awarded the 2004-05 Honda Award for gymnastics, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate female gymnast.  Maloney was also a Sullivan Award finalist in 1999 and was the 1998 USA Gymnastics Sportswoman of the Year.  Earned USAG Gymnast of the Year honors from 1998-1999.
FAMILY: Parents: Richard and Linda; Brother-Shawn and Sister-Carrie.

Sources:SOURCES:   Some data and photos obtained from the public domain (Google and Wikipedia) by 2008-2012 Web Manager Jerry Wright, author of Gymnastics Who’s Who-2010.  Editing by Dr. Larry Banner, 1993 GHOF Inductee & 1894-2007 Web Manager, Ph.D. & Ed.D.  Some data furnished by Ms. Maloney.