SHANNON MILLER AWARD: Local gymnastics club makes rest of state Greene with envy

In the previous 25 years, only one Bartlesville gymnast brought home the coveted annual Shannon Miller Award.

As of 2021 the number is now two.

Current Bartlesville Gymnastics Club (BGC) sky flower Kylee Greene reaped the honor, which is bestowed by the Oklahoma USA State Committee to the athlete that brought recognition through gymnastics competition to the state of Oklahoma.

Kelci Lewis is the only other Bartlesville club-trained gymnast to claim the award (2005). Lewis went on to star in gymnastics at the University of Arkansas.

"Kylee has always been a joy to coach," Bartlesville Gymnastics Club Director Lorrie Bertolet said. "I have enjoyed watching her grow up in the gym. It has been rewarding to watch her learn all the life lessons that gymnastics teaches. When thinking about the kind of athlete every gym wants to have, and the kind of athlete you want to have represent Oklahoma, it will always be an athlete like Kylee Greene."

This past season (2020-21), Lewis sparkled at the Level 10 Nationals, finishing third on the balance beam in a competition that included the elite gymnasts from throughout the United States. She was only one of two Oklahoma representatives that brought home a medal.

During the years, Greene also has proved dominant in state, regional and Level 9 Western Championship competitions.  She earned an All-Around medal at the western nationals.

Multiple Division I college gymnastics programs are courting Greene, Bertolet said.

As mentioned, Lewis and Greene are the lone Bartlesville-based gymnasts to possess the Shannon Miller Award, which has been handed out to 32 different gymnasts (some years there have been co-recipients).

By comparison, Bart Conner Gymnastics has had 11 girls receive the award while Dynamo Gymnastics, which was Miller's club, has had eight girls recognized.

Three Bartlesville coaches have received the annual Shannon Miller Award for professional members — Susie Barto (2002), Sam Barto (2003) and Bertolet (2010).