Return To Gymnastics ‘A Blast’ For Eaker
March 13, 2025 | Gymnastics, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Standing on the four-inch balance beam with thousands watching as the Georgia GymDog performs her routine, Kara Eaker is exactly where she wants to be.
"I don't really see it as pressure," the junior said. "It's definitely more of an opportunity, especially just walking in with confidence that I know I can make it, based on practices, repetition, numbers and everything.
"To me, it's more about enjoying the moment and having fun."
And Eaker is having fun.
After two seasons at Utah and a year away from the sport, the junior has returned to gymnastics at Georgia. It was a long journey back for the two-time All-American who has been a member of two world championship teams with Team USA and was an alternate on the U.S. team at the Tokyo Olympics.
"Having Kara here just helps us get stronger," said Georgia co-head coach Ryan Roberts, whose ninth-ranked GymDogs wrap up their regular season Friday night at Stegeman Coliseum against No. 1 Oklahoma.
Growing up in Kansas City, Mo., Eaker started doing gymnastics when she was little. There was a period when she also tried dance, but it didn't go well.
"I got to the first recital and froze on stage," Eaker said.
Performing gymnastics in front of a crowd might seem similar to doing a dance recital, but there was a key difference, she said,
"I think it was just the being upside down part," Eaker said. "I didn't have to see all the faces."
Eaker's list of accomplishments on the balance beam includes twice earning All-America honors, scoring a 10.0 in just her fifth collegiate routine, placing second at the 2021 Olympic Trials, fourth at the 2019 World Championships and winning the beam competition at the 2019 Pan American Games.
"Ever since I was little, it kind of just came the most natural to me, and just over the years, I've just really honed in on that skill and perfected it," she said.
"I think that kind of competitive experience goes a long way," Roberts said. "Kara is really the only one (on a young Georgia squad) that's been in the NCAA (team event) as an athlete, so she knows what it takes. And I think just bringing that experience and that kind of perspective helps the team."
In Georgia's win over Alabama on Jan. 31, Eaker won the beam with a score of 9.925. It was her first meet since 2023, when she left Utah after two seasons and stepped away from the sport for a year to focus on her mental health and be an advocate for others in sports to do so.
The time away was important for her, but she missed the sport she's poured so much of herself into since she was little.
"It definitely was a huge change, not training, not competing, not doing gymnastics in general," she said. "I think just doing gymnastics is what I really missed about it. There was just nothing like it, and I think that's what really brought me back into the sport."
At Georgia, she's back doing what she loves. Eaker has competed on beam six times this season, with an average score of 9.879.
"Being here, I've gotten the opportunity to love doing gymnastics again," she said. "I love being part of this team, and I enjoy everybody who's here with me, and I feel the support every day. And it's just been a blast being on this team."
Roberts said it would have been easy for Eaker to dive back into gymnastics too quickly after her year away, to try to make up for lost time in a hurry, but that likely would have been counterproductive.
"I think she so wanted her body to do things quicker than you're actually able to do sometimes, so I think that was a little bit frustrating for her, but she did take a year off. Gymnastics, it's a lot of muscle memory, so that takes a while to come back," Roberts said. "She's come back on beam and is just getting better and better. It's a process, it takes time. .... You've got to pace yourself to come back, and we didn't want to push too quick, because that's where injuries occur."
Eaker has worked her way back, and even before she made her GymDog debut she was an asset to the team through her experience, work ethic and leadership.
"Leadership by example is a big thing," Roberts said. "She supports everyone and helps where she can. She's maybe not the loudest voice, but she supports the younger ones and helps where she can."
That first meet for Georgia, Eaker said, was a joyful experience in numerous ways.
"It definitely felt like a first for me, just being able to be out on the floor with everybody after such a long time," she said. "And being able to look at it with, like, a new perspective on life as well."
Staff Writer
Standing on the four-inch balance beam with thousands watching as the Georgia GymDog performs her routine, Kara Eaker is exactly where she wants to be.
"I don't really see it as pressure," the junior said. "It's definitely more of an opportunity, especially just walking in with confidence that I know I can make it, based on practices, repetition, numbers and everything.
"To me, it's more about enjoying the moment and having fun."
And Eaker is having fun.
After two seasons at Utah and a year away from the sport, the junior has returned to gymnastics at Georgia. It was a long journey back for the two-time All-American who has been a member of two world championship teams with Team USA and was an alternate on the U.S. team at the Tokyo Olympics.
"Having Kara here just helps us get stronger," said Georgia co-head coach Ryan Roberts, whose ninth-ranked GymDogs wrap up their regular season Friday night at Stegeman Coliseum against No. 1 Oklahoma.
Growing up in Kansas City, Mo., Eaker started doing gymnastics when she was little. There was a period when she also tried dance, but it didn't go well.
"I got to the first recital and froze on stage," Eaker said.
Performing gymnastics in front of a crowd might seem similar to doing a dance recital, but there was a key difference, she said,
"I think it was just the being upside down part," Eaker said. "I didn't have to see all the faces."
Eaker's list of accomplishments on the balance beam includes twice earning All-America honors, scoring a 10.0 in just her fifth collegiate routine, placing second at the 2021 Olympic Trials, fourth at the 2019 World Championships and winning the beam competition at the 2019 Pan American Games.
"Ever since I was little, it kind of just came the most natural to me, and just over the years, I've just really honed in on that skill and perfected it," she said.
"I think that kind of competitive experience goes a long way," Roberts said. "Kara is really the only one (on a young Georgia squad) that's been in the NCAA (team event) as an athlete, so she knows what it takes. And I think just bringing that experience and that kind of perspective helps the team."
In Georgia's win over Alabama on Jan. 31, Eaker won the beam with a score of 9.925. It was her first meet since 2023, when she left Utah after two seasons and stepped away from the sport for a year to focus on her mental health and be an advocate for others in sports to do so.
The time away was important for her, but she missed the sport she's poured so much of herself into since she was little.
"It definitely was a huge change, not training, not competing, not doing gymnastics in general," she said. "I think just doing gymnastics is what I really missed about it. There was just nothing like it, and I think that's what really brought me back into the sport."
At Georgia, she's back doing what she loves. Eaker has competed on beam six times this season, with an average score of 9.879.
"Being here, I've gotten the opportunity to love doing gymnastics again," she said. "I love being part of this team, and I enjoy everybody who's here with me, and I feel the support every day. And it's just been a blast being on this team."
Roberts said it would have been easy for Eaker to dive back into gymnastics too quickly after her year away, to try to make up for lost time in a hurry, but that likely would have been counterproductive.
"I think she so wanted her body to do things quicker than you're actually able to do sometimes, so I think that was a little bit frustrating for her, but she did take a year off. Gymnastics, it's a lot of muscle memory, so that takes a while to come back," Roberts said. "She's come back on beam and is just getting better and better. It's a process, it takes time. .... You've got to pace yourself to come back, and we didn't want to push too quick, because that's where injuries occur."
Eaker has worked her way back, and even before she made her GymDog debut she was an asset to the team through her experience, work ethic and leadership.
"Leadership by example is a big thing," Roberts said. "She supports everyone and helps where she can. She's maybe not the loudest voice, but she supports the younger ones and helps where she can."
That first meet for Georgia, Eaker said, was a joyful experience in numerous ways.
"It definitely felt like a first for me, just being able to be out on the floor with everybody after such a long time," she said. "And being able to look at it with, like, a new perspective on life as well."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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