BARTLESVILLE GYMNASTICS SEEKS SPONSORS IN WAKE OF FINANCIAL UNCERTAINITY
By Mike Tupa
Oct. 28, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
After several years of adjusting to a major change of sponsorship the Bartlesville Gymnastics Club (BGC) is set to launch into unknown financial waters as a non-profit entity seeking sponsorships to help fuel its voyage.
From 1966 through the early 2020s the BGC was known as the Phillips 66 Gymnastics Club or the ConocoPhillips Gymnastics Club. But the oil conglomerate decided approximately three years ago to trim some of the recreation programs under its corporate umbrella, including the gymnastics club.
The club has been adjusting to the drop in funding and backing by the company — although it has appeared to remain involved to a certain extent. In addition, the club continues to be headquartered in the large workout facility that Phillips has provided for approximately 40 years and underwent a major remodeling several years ago.
The BGC is now entering a new phase as an independent concern. The club has joined the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce and has scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony for at 2 p.m. November 4 at the gymnastics’ facility to recognize its new status.
“We’re kind of feeling the impact we had without Phillips," said Kristy Kelly, who works on the front office side of the BGC, with survival as the overriding objective.
With that in mind, the BGC is seeking sponsors and will be working to secure other forms of revenues, Kelly said.
Those interested in finding out more about the club or how to contribute can contact a member of the BGC or call 918-214-8535.
The BGC is rooted in national gymnastics history. The club was an outgrowth in 1966 of the Amateur Athletic Union Gymnastics Championships held in Bartlesville.
Phillips 66 hosted at the Adams Building the nationally-televised (ABC’s Wide World of Sports) event, which was a qualifier for the 1966 World Games.
In the wake of the endeavor, gymnastics equipment purchased for the competition remained in Bartlesville afterward. With the expensive equipment already at hand, Phillips 66 created the gymnastics club, which originally trained both boys and girls.
During the first several years, the challenge was trying to find a permanent workout facility or base of operations. During its search for a home, the club utilized the Dewey Fairgrounds, an empty store and Garfield High School for practices. Finally the current facility was built in the 1980s and has been utilized since.
During the past nearly 60 years hundreds, if not thousands, of boys and girls have belonged to the club. Many went on to compete in high level college gymnastics. One of them was Mike Epperson, a member of the national championship gymnastics team in the late-1980s at the University of Nebraska and a recent inductee into the Bartlesville Athletic Hall of Fame.
Current Air Force Academy star gymnast Kylee Greene is a BGC alumnus.