A 22-year-old Jamaican-American gymnast is shining brightly under the golden lights of the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships.
Toni-Ann Williams, who was born in Maryland but represents Jamaica as part of its national gymnastics team, last weekend won the NCAA All-America honors at the Gymnastics Championships held from April 20-21 at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri.
Williams, who is currently attending the University of California, Berkeley where she is a member of the Golden Bears gymnastics team, also earned second-team All-America honors for the all-around.
The wins make her only the fifth gymnast in school history to be crowned an All-American, with California’s seventh total All-America honor and adds to her legacy as the most decorated gymnast in the history of the university.
Williams, who competed this season coming off an Achilles injury for which she required surgery, topped her previous high of a 39.225, 20th-place finish at the 2015 NCAA Championships.
Williams was the best at UCal on bars (9.8875), beam (9.8625) and floor (9.8625) that helped her school to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. She also scored 9.8125 on vault. Her bars, beam and floor scores are Cal’s best individual totals at the championships in school history.
“From a completely ruptured Achilles to NCAA All-American. This comeback year has been truly special. I can’t wait to be back next season for my 5th year,” she tweeted.
Williams’ parents are both from Jamaica and she is a niece of Jamaican politician, Anthony Hylton. She has three sisters, Maya, Kristine and Zitafa. Her sister, Maya, is also a gymnast on the Jamaican National team.
