AT ILLINOIS
2012 - Senior: Big Ten Beam Champion, earning the 13th individual conference crown in school history and becoming the first two-time Big Ten champion at Illinois since the championships were officially recognized by the Big Ten in 1982-83 ... First-team All-Big Ten selection ... Tied for third in the all-around at the Big Ten Championships with a career-high 39.400 ... Led the team with 19 individual titles (VT-2, UB-2, BB-8, FX-2, AA-5), which tied the fourth-most in a single season in program history ... Her 33 career titles rank as the sixth-most on the UI all-time list ... Hit 49-of-50 routines and had a team-best 44 top-five finishes ... Equaled the fourth-best beam score in school history with a 9.925 vs. Kentucky ... Was named the team's Most Valuable Gymnast and co-Most Consistent Beam ... Academic All-Big Ten selection.
2011 - Junior: Earned her first career All-America honor by tying for seventh on vault at the NCAA Championships to pick up second-team accolades ... Second-team All-Big Ten for the second time in her career ... Was the runner-up on beam at the Big Ten Championships with a 9.850 ... Tied for second on the team with seven individual titles this season (VT-3, BB-3, AA-1) and had 16 top-three finishes ... Tied a career high on vault with a 9.925 and set season highs on bars with a 9.800 and beam with a 9.900 ... Competed at all 14 meets, including nine times in the all-around ... Academic All-Big Ten selection.
2010 - Sophomore: Competed at all 14 meets, including twice in the all-around ... Won the beam title against Ohio State with a season-high 9.850 and posted eight top-3 finishes ... Hit a perfect 14-of-14 routines on floor and tied her career high in the event with a 9.900 at the State of Illinois Classic ... Academic All-Big Ten and Scholastic All-American selection.
2009 - Freshman: Big Ten Vault Champion with the second-best score in school history of 9.925 ... Named second-team All-Big Ten ... Tied the then-fourth-best all-around score in Illinois history with a 39.375 at the Big Ten Championships to place fifth ... Tied for second on beam at the Big Ten Championships with a 9.875 ... Placed fourth on beam (9.875), sixth in the all-around (39.300), and ninth on vault (9.825) at the West Regional ... Won the beam title in each of her first three collegiate meets ... Competed in the all-around in every meet, winning her first all-around crown at the Chicago Style Invite with a 39.125 ... Hit 50 of 56 routines on the season, including a perfect 14-for-14 on floor ... Recorded six individual titles (VT-1, BB-3, FX-1 and AA-1) and had 20 top-three finishes.
High School/Club: 2008 Level 10 state bars and floor champion and runner-up in the all-around and on vault ... 2007 Junior Olympic Nationals first alternate ... Five-time Level 10 Regional Qualifier ... Placed fourth on vault and bars and seventh on floor at the 2007 Level 10 Regionals ... 2007 Level 10 state all-around and vault champion and runner-up on beam and floor ... Club team was Frederick Gymnastics Club ... Coached by Larisa Firestone.
Personal: Born Oct. 18, 1990 ... Daughter of Alan and Jan Joannides ... Says she chose Illinois because "it felt like a home away from home" ... A four year honor student in high school ... Distinguished Maryland Merit Scholar ... Graduated in the top five percent of her class ... Majoring in business.
Kelsey's Career Highs
Vault: 9.925 (twice, 3/12/11)
Bars: 9.900 (2/4/12)
Beam: 9.925 (3/2/12)
Floor: 9.900 (4x, last 3/17/12)
All-Around: 39.400 (3/24/12)
Individual Titles
Vault: 6
Bars: 2
Beam: 15
Floor: 3
All-Around: 7
Total: 33
The Joannides File
Nickname: Kels, Red
Favorite place on campus: The Quad - especially on a nice, sunny day
Best memory as an Illini: The moment that Melissa finished her beam routine at Regionals, and we knew we were going to NCAAs
Best part about Kenney Gym: The floor-to-ceiling window and all the natural light that shines in during practice
Being a Fighting Illini means: Bleeding orange and blue, humming Oskee Wow Wow at random times during the day, and wearing orange as if it hasn't already gone out of style
Secret talent of one of my teammates: Alina can make this one facial expression that looks just like Kiera Knightly
Something I have to bring on every road trip: Gum
Pre-meet superstitions: One of the girls has to tie my hair ribbons
Favorite event: Beam
Favorite athlete: Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts)
Favorite Illini athlete: Steph Panozzo (Women's Soccer)
Favorite all-time gymnast: Dominique Moceaneau
Favorite sports team: Indianapolis Colts
Favorite movie: Hitch
Favorite TV show: Glee
Favorite food: Macaroni and Cheese
Favorite cereal: Kashi Island Vanilla Mini Wheats
Favorite ice cream: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Favorite restaurant: Kamakura
Favorite band: Justin Bieber
Mac or PC: Mac
Dream Job: To work in marketing operations at Google, Inc. headquarters in Santa Clara, CA
Cartoon character that best describes me: Bugs Bunny - we both enjoy carrots
Super power I would most like to have: Flying
What I make most often in the kitchen: Oatmeal
Person I would most like to spend a day with: Will Smith
If I was on a reality show it would be: Wipe Out
If I weren't a gymnast, I would play: Soccer
One thing I've always dreamt about doing: Skydiving
Three words that describe me are: Organized, goofy, easily-amused
Career Plans: Work my way up within the marketing department of a Chicago-based firm
Updated May 2012
