Bahamian Gymnast Kia Bazard Signs With Augustana
Bazard will compete in Augustana's Acrobatics and Tumbling program and captain Team Bahamas at the 2026 CARIFTA Championships.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Gymnastics
Bahamian gymnast Kia Bazard has signed with Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to join its Acrobatics and Tumbling program. Bazard will also serve as captain of Team Bahamas at the 2026 CARIFTA Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Nassau.
Why it matters
The signing extends a path for Bahamian gymnasts to compete at the collegiate level in the United States. Bazard's role as captain at a championship hosted in the Bahamas for the first time puts a spotlight on the country's growing gymnastics program.
The 2026 CARIFTA Artistic Gymnastics Championships run four days in Nassau, November 13-16, and mark the first time the Bahamas hosts the event. The source does not provide Bazard's competitive results or scholarship details.
The players
Kia Bazard
Bahamian gymnast who signed with Augustana University and will captain Team Bahamas at the 2026 CARIFTA Championships.
Augustana University
Private liberal arts university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that houses the Acrobatics and Tumbling program Bazard will join.
Bahamas Ministry of Sports
Government ministry of The Bahamas that supports Bazard and gymnastics development in the country.
The details
Bazard was developed through coaching at Airborne Gymnastics in Nassau and at Brandy's Gymnastics in Orlando, Florida. She will join Augustana's Acrobatics and Tumbling program while continuing her academic studies.
Timeline
November 13-16, 2026: 2026 CARIFTA Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Nassau, where Bazard will captain Team Bahamas.
Season Trajectory
The first-ever hosting of the CARIFTA Artistic Gymnastics Championships in the Bahamas expands the regional event's footprint beyond its established venues. Bazard's collegiate signing in the United States reflects a pipeline pattern in which Caribbean gymnasts train abroad before competing for their home nation.
For readers tracking collegiate gymnastics, Bazard's signing adds an international athlete to Augustana's roster for the coming seasons. Fans following the CARIFTA Championships can watch the Bahamas team's first home-hosted event in Nassau in November.
The takeaway
Bazard's path from Nassau and Orlando to a Sioux Falls university shows how international gymnasts are building college pathways in the United States. Readers following the sport can track her progress through the November 2026 championships.
What happens next
Bazard is scheduled to captain Team Bahamas at the 2026 CARIFTA Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Nassau, November 13-16, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more Gymnastics coverage for context on collegiate and international competition.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Tribune242.
