On April 6, the arena fell silent as Jordan Bowers stood poised at the edge of the floor exercise mat. The weight of Oklahoma’s 20-year NCAA Championships streak rested on her shoulders. Would this be the moment? The senior had already delivered perfection twice that afternoon in Seattle, but gymnastics history beckoned for a third act.

What happened next sent shockwaves through the gymnastics world? Bowers didn’t just compete; she commanded. It all transpired while she was floating through her tumbling passes with otherworldly precision to clinch her third perfect 10 of the day. Her staggering 39.900 all-around score propelled the Sooners to a dominant 198.450 team total, securing their 21st consecutive NCAA Championships appearance.

But none of this happens without the woman behind the curtain. K.J. Kindler. The architect. The anchor. She’s been in the thick of the title run, every comeback, every routine that mattered. And now? She’s heading back to the big stage with Bowers leading the charge. So it begs the question, Who is K.J. Kindler!?

Who is K.J. Kindler?

Behind every dynasty stands a visionary, and for Oklahoma gymnastics, that’s undeniably K.J. Kindler. Born in Lake Elmo, Minnesota—not Nebraska, as some might think—Kindler has built something truly remarkable in Norman. After graduating from Iowa State in 1992, she stayed with the Cyclones for fourteen years—first as an assistant and later as head coach—before Oklahoma came calling in 2006.

Honestly, she hasn’t looked back since then! “Every single year, our goal is to win a National Championship, and I have no problem saying that. I don’t know of any reason to go for runner-up,” Kindler once boldly declared to Inside Gymnastics magazine. And hey, with six national titles, who could argue with her approach? What’s particularly fascinating about Kindler is her unapologetic ambition.

At 54, she’s transformed Oklahoma from a solid program to an absolute powerhouse, one that’s remarkably been ranked either first or second in every pre-season poll under her watch. Perhaps most telling? The expectations she sets. While some coaches might shy away from championship talk, Kindler embraces it. “I can’t imagine anyone else in our position feeling any differently,” she’s said. And frankly, with Jordan Bowers and company chasing title number seven, the Kindler method is working wonders!

K.J. Kindler Career Highlights and Achievements

Before she ever became the mastermind behind one of the most dominant gymnastics programs in NCAA history, K.J. Kindler was actually quite the gymnast herself. Born in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, she trained under Mary Jane Olsen at Hamline University and then moved to Connecticut, where she left her mark, racking up a string of conference and state titles like it was nothing.

As a collegiate gymnast at Iowa State, Kindler was, honestly, a force. She was a three-time team MVP and finished as the runner-up in the all-around at the 1992 Big Eight Championships. And hey, get this—she became Iowa State’s first-ever individual NCAA Regional qualifier, competing there three times. She was destined to stand out.

But coaching? That’s where her brilliance truly took flight. After graduating in ’92, she stayed on at Iowa State, first as an assistant and then, in 2001, as head coach. She didn’t just improve the program—she completely transformed it. Remarkably, in 2006, she led the Cyclones to their first-ever Super Six appearance. That alone was a major moment.

Then Oklahoma came knocking. And frankly, the rest is gymnastics history. Since 2006, Kindler has turned the Sooners into an absolute powerhouse. She’s guided the team to six national championships (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023), an incredible 14 straight regional titles, and produced a jaw-dropping 189 All-America honors.

Perhaps most impressive? We won’t look further than her 2017 and 2019 teams, which went completely undefeated, with the 2017 squad posting a record-breaking 198.3875 at nationals—the highest ever at an NCAA Championship! Naturally, the accolades poured in: four-time National Coach of the Year, multiple Big 12 and Regional awards, and stars like Jordan Bowers to her name.

“People like to challenge us—like, their goal is to beat Oklahoma,” Kindler once said. “I wear that fact like a badge of honor. You can say whatever you want about us, put whatever motivations on us you imagine, but at the end of the day that’s something we’ve earned by being the best.” And honestly? The results speak for themselves.

What are Jordan Bowers’ notable achievements under Coach K.J. Kindler?

Talk about a perfect partnership! Jordan Bowers has flourished under K.J. Kindler’s guidance, and honestly, her achievements speak volumes about both athlete and coach. Perhaps most impressive, Bowers recently claimed the 2024 Big 12 Gymnast of the Year honor, becoming the 13th Sooner to receive this recognition. What’s particularly remarkable is that she joins an elite group as just the sixth Oklahoma gymnast to earn both Newcomer and Gymnast of the Year awards during her career. That’s undeniably special!

When it comes to pure performance, Bowers is one of the rare collegiate gymnastics’ brightest stars. Her perfect 10.0 on the Yurchenko 1.5 vault at the Big 12 Championships? Breathtaking! And that’s just one of multiple perfect scores she’s collected along the way. Kindler herself can’t help but marvel at her star gymnast: “Jo is just such a consistent person. It’s not surprising that she had the opportunity to win this award. [2025 SEC Gymnast of the Year Award].”

The coach specifically noted how challenging it is to stand out in the talent-packed SEC gymnastics world, saying, “it is not easy to get noticed, let alone recognized.” Perhaps most telling of Bowers’ impact? Her nomination for the prestigious AAI Award recognizes the nation’s top senior gymnast. As Kindler noted, “being nominated means you have positioned yourself, through your hard work and effort every single day, and risen to the top.”