Women's Gymnasts of the Week – Jan. 6-8, 2023

Gymnast of the Week
Sierra Brooks – Michigan

• Recorded a 9.950 on three of her four events at the inaugural Super 16 meet Jan. 7 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas
• Finished at the top of the podium on floor (9.950), tied for second on vault (9.950) and finished fourth on bars (9.950)
• Contributed to the meet-leading team total of 49.600 on bars, concluding the evening with her third 9.950 of the day
• The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns her third career Big Ten Gymnast of the Week award

Event Specialist of the Week
Natalie Wojcik – Michigan

• Matched her career-high on bars to claim the individual title at the inaugural Super 16 meet Jan. 7 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas
• Finished at the top of the podium on bars with a score of 9.975, earning a perfect 10.000 from a judge on the event
• Added a 9.825 on vault and a 9.850 on beam to help the Wolverines take second place with a team total of 197.400
• The three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree collects her third career Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week honor

Freshman of the Week
Payton Harris – Ohio State

• Recorded a pair of 9.900 scores in her collegiate debut to help the Buckeyes to the best season-opener score in program history (196.775) and the 10th best score in the country to start the season
• Earned the event title on beam with a 9.900, took third on floor (9.900) and finished fourth in the all-around with a score of 38.950
• Her 9.900 on beam ranks second in the Big Ten this season
• Earns her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor

Gymnast of the Week
Jordan Bowers – Oklahoma
Bowers opened her season at the Super 16 in Las Vegas setting a career-high all-around score of 39.650. She won vault scoring a 9.975 as the Sooners competed against No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Auburn, and No. 10 UCLA. The sophomore posted a career-best 9.925 on beam before scoring a 9.850 on bars and 9.900 on floor. Her performances ranked in the nation’s top ten as she is No. 1 in all-around, No. 2 in vault and No. 10 in beam.

Specialist of the Week
Ava Siegfeldt – Oklahoma
Siegfeldt made her collegiate debut scoring a 9.925 on beam. The freshman’s score tied teammate Jordan Bowers for the team’s second-best score in the event. Additionally, her beam score is nationally-ranked in the top 10.

Newcomer of the Week
Faith Torrez – Oklahoma
Torrez made her collegiate debut competing in bars (9.850), beam (9.900), and floor (9.950). She landed a double back dismount at the end of her beam routine, which is rare in NCAA gymnastics. Torrez won her first individual title as she tied for first in floor. Her score landed her a share of the No. 1 position in the rankings for the event. She is the first Oklahoma freshman since Olivia Trautman in 2019 to rank No. 1 in an individual event during opening weekend.

Gymnast of the Week
Sidney Washington – Pittsburgh
Sophomore Sidney Washington (Ann Arbor, Mich.) from Pittsburgh was voted EAGL Gymnast of the Week on Jan 11. Washington set a new personal best of 9.875 on vault and took first place on that event. The Ann Arbor, Mich. native also earned first place on floor with a career best score of 9.900. In addition, the sophomore’s floor routine gave the team its final push at the end of the event to win the meet overall.

Specialist of the Week
Jordyn Ewing – Pittsburgh
Sophomore Jordyn Ewing (Halifax, Nova Scotia) from Pittsburgh was voted EAGL Specialist of the Week on Jan 11. Ewing placed second on beam with a career high score of 9.925. The sophomore also led the team on bars with a 9.825, good enough for a tie for second place on that event. In addition, the Halifax, Nova Scotia native finished the night on floor, scoring a 9.850 and tying for fourth.

Rookie of the Week
Reyna Garvey – Pittsburgh
Freshman Reyna Garvey (Pittsburgh, Pa.) from Pittsburgh was voted EAGL Rookie of the Week on Jan 11. In an impressive college debut, Garvey earned first place on beam with a 9.950. The freshman also earned the team’s highest all around score of the night with a 39.150. In addition, the Pittsburgh, Pa. native also earned scores of 9.700, 9.725 and 9.775 on vault, bars and floor respectively.

Gymnast of the Week
Sara Kenefick – Penn
Kenefick (Charlotte, NC), a Junior from Penn, was voted GEC Gymnast of the Week on January 9th, 2023. In a quad meet versus Pitt, Penn State and Temple, returner and captain Sara Kenefick hit 4/4 events and notched her career high all-around score of 39.025. She also led the team with her vault and floor routine, helping contribute to the highest opening team score in at least 24 years.

Co-Specialists of the Week
Joanna Champbers – Bridgeport
Chambers (Georgetown, TX), a senior from Bridgeport was voted Co-Specialist of the Week on January 9th, 2023. Returning to the Purple Knight lineups after suffering a partial achilles re-tear & ligament damage in her ankle, Joanna began her senior season strong with a pair of hit routines for two first place finishes. In the off season, Joanna worked hard to rehab and return to full health while upgrading her bar routine. This is just the beginning to a strong season for senior, Joanna Chambers!

Rose Fanara – West Chester
Fanara (Fredericksburg, VA), a graduate student from West Chester, was voted Co-Specialist of the Week on January 9th, 2023. Rose decided to take her 5th Covid year and compete for one more season. She is amazing on the floor exercise starting with a huge double pike and finishing with an equally impressive double tuck. She finished 2nd in WCU’s home opener with a 9.775 right behind her teammate.

Newcomer of the Week
Skyelar Kerico – Penn
Kerico (Tom’s River, NJ), a first year student from Penn was voted GEC Newcomer of the Week on January 9th, 2023. In a quad meet versus Pitt, Penn State and Temple, newcomer Skyelar Kerico hit 4/4 events, notching a 39.125 in her debut. Her all-around score tied the 6th highest of any Quaker gymnast. She also led the team with her bars and beam routine, helping contribute to the highest opening team score in at least 24 years.

Gymnast of the Week
Isabella Sissi – Northern Illinois
Sophomore Isabella Sissi scored a 39.175 to win the all-around and finished first on the vault (9.825) and floor exercise (9.850-Tied) as NIU defeated Bowling Green Sunday in the 2023 season opener. Sissi added a 9.775 on balance beam to place fourth and a 9.725 on bars. Her all-around score was the highest recorded by a MAC gymnast in the season opening weekend.

Specialist of the Week
Natalie Hamp – Northern Illinois
Two-time MAC bars champion Natalie Hamp opened her senior season by winning the uneven parallel bars with a score of 9.900 in the Huskies’ win over Bowling Green Sunday. Hamp’s score was the highest of the meet and was the only 9.900 by any MAC gymnast on any event during the opening weekend.

Gymnast of the Week
Angelica Labat – Illinois State
The two-time defending MIC Gymnast of the Year, Labat started the 2023 season off on a high note with the 18th weekly conference honor of her career. She finished second in the all-around with a score of 38.875 in the season opener against Western Michigan and UW-Oshkosh. That performance was highlighted by a second-place finish on bars with a 9.825, which is the second-highest score of the season in the conference. She also added a fourth-place finish on floor with a 9.775 to lead the way for the Redbirds.

Performance of the Week
Madison Kipp – Illinois State
Kipp was the lone event winner of the day for Illinois State in the season opener. Kipp, a 2022 All-MIC performer on beam, began the 2023 season in fine fashion by winning the beam competition with a score of 9.825. That is the highest individual score on the event so far in the MIC this season and fell just short of her career best of 9.900 set last season.

Newcomer of the Week
Taylor Ingle – SEMO
Ingle, a Coppell, Texas-native, made her Redhawks debut on Sunday competing in all-four rotations. The Freshman was slotted in the number one spot in both the bars and floor routine(s), and was in the second position for the beam and vault. Her best finish was fifth place which came on the floor routine where she registered a 9.675. Ingle, however, finished second with a score of 38.275 in the ‘All-Around’ category to put a stamp on an impressive freshman debut.

Coaches’ Choice Award
Kyla Podges – Texas Woman’s
In her first meet of the season at the University of Denver, Podges competed on beam, bars and, for the first time in her career, floor. Due to injuries her freshman and sophomore seasons, Podges could not compete on floor. Last season, she was a steady and strong competitor on beams and bars. Then, in her first meet of her season, Podges achieved her dream of competing in the lineup for the Pioneers on floor. At Denver, her hard work during preseason showed and she earned the leadoff spot on floor for TWU and hit her routine, setting her career high at a 9.625. Podges also displayed strong performances on beam with a 9.675 and bars with a 9.625.

Gymnast of the Week
Megan Ray – UC Davis
UC Davis sophomore Megan Ray (Irvine, CA) shared the vault victory with a career-best score of 9.875 in the Aggies’ season-opening dual win at Sacramento State (Jan. 8). Ray also finished tied for third on the balance beam with a 9.70. This is Ray’s second career MPSF weekly award, and first as gymnast of the week.

Specialist of the Week
Emma Otsu – UC Davis
UC Davis junior Emma Otsu (Paso Robles, CA) finished in third-place on vault with a score of 9.80 in the Aggies’ season-opening dual win at Sacramento State (Jan. 8). This is Otsu’s fourth career MPSF weekly award.

Freshman of the Week
Sarah Lutrel – Sacramento State
Sacramento State freshman Sarah Lutrel (Citrus Heights, CA) had all four of her scores count toward the team total in the Hornets’ season opener against UC Davis (Jan. 8). Lutrel tied for first-place on both uneven bars (9.725) and the all-around (38.450) in her collegiate debut, and was fifth on vault (9.750) and sixth on beam (9.525).

Gymnast of the Week
Karley McClain – Southern Utah

Specialists of the Week
Vault – Kayla Pardue, Southern Utah
Uneven Bars – Trista Goodman, Southern Utah; Anyssa Alvarado, BYU
Balance Beam – Elease Rollins, BYU
Floor Exercise – Hailey Vultaggio, Southern Utah

Gymnast of the Week
Jordan Chiles – UCLA

• In her season debut, recorded the second-highest all-around score in the nation, 39.650, to tie for second in the Bruins’ session at the Super 16 event in Las Vegas that featured four top-10 teams in the country. It was the third-highest all-around score of her career.
• Her all-around performance helped UCLA its highest season-opening score in 18 years.
• Posted a 9.975 on bars, earning a perfect 10 from one of the two judges, to tie for first in the event.
• Scored a pair of 9.900s on the vault and beam to finish tied for sixth and tied for fourth, respectively.
• After week one, the All-American is tied for first on bars, tied for second in the all-around and tied for 11th on vault in the nation.

Specialist of the Week
Mya Lauzon – California

• Helped guide the Bears to a 197.457 team score and first-place finish in their session at the Super 16 event in Las Vegas on opening weekend. It was Cal’s highest opening weekend score in program history and 11th-highest score all-time.
• Tied for first in the vault with a career-high 9.925 and tied for second in floor with a 9.925, matching a career-high.
• Tied a career-high with a 9.850 on bars and finished tied for seventh.
• Tied for fourth in the nation on vault and was one of just 10 gymnasts to score a 9.925 or better in the opening weekend on vault; Tied for ninth in the nation on the floor.

Freshman/Newcomer of the Week
Selena Harris – UCLA

• In her collegiate debut, recorded the nation’s highest all-around total by a freshman with a fifth-place mark of 39.500; was also the highest mark by a UCLA freshman in her debut since 2005.
• Her all-around performance helped the Bruins achieve their highest season-opening score in 18 years (197.575).
• Her first three collegiate routines all scored a 9.900 as she finished tied for sixth on vault and tied for eighth on bars and floor in a field that featured three of the top five teams in the country.
• Ranks tied for seventh nationally in the all-around after opening weekend.

Coaches’ Choice
Ella Cesario – California

• Finally competed in her first meet as a Bear 36 months after suffering a knee injury on vault.
• Making her collegiate debut at the Super 16 in Las Vegas on the very same event she suffered the injury, she scored a 9.825 to finish tied for sixth in the session.
• Posted a 9.875 on bars and narrowly missed the podium in a tie for fourth.
• Her efforts helped Cal win its session at the Super 16 and record the season-opening score in program history.

Gymnast of the Week
Sunisa Lee – Auburn
Lee, a sophomore from St. Paul, Minn., put together to nation’s best all-around performance on the season-opening weekend, scoring a 39.750 to win the all-around against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 Michigan, and No. 10 UCLA at the inaugural Super 16 in Las Vegas. Highlighting Lee’s weekend was her perfect 10.0 on beam to finish first in the event, the fourth 10.0 on beam in her career. She kicked off the meet with a 9.95 on bars to finish in a tie for third overall and added a pair of 9.9s on vault and floor. Her performance on vault helped the Tigers finish with a 49.500 in the event, tying a program record. Lee also helped Auburn post a team score of 197.350, a program record in a season opener and is the fifth-best score in the country this season.

Specialist of the Week
Trinity Thomas – Florida
Thomas, a graduate student from York, Pa., won or shared a win for each of the three events she competed in the season-opening quad meet against Ball State, Lindenwood and West Virginia. Thomas recorded the nation’s first 10.0 in any event this season with her fourth beam 10.0 of her career. It was her seventh 10.0 in the last five meets for the Gators. She also placed first on vault with a 9.925 and tied for first on bars with a 9.95. Thomas now has 21 career 10.0s, tying her at sixth place among the nation’s 10.0 leaders.

Freshman of the Week
Kayla DiCello – Florida
DiCello, a freshman from Boyds, Md., won the all-around in the quad meet against Ball State, Lindenwood and West Virginia with a top score of 39.475. DiCello’s score was the highest all-around mark among SEC freshmen, second among nation’s freshmen and tied for nation’s 10th highest for the opening weekend. She is now one of seven Gators to win the all-around in their first meet since 1986. DiCello tied with Trinity Thomas (2019) for Florida’s top all-around in the first collegiate meet. She shared second place on balance beam with teammate Ellie Lazzari at 9.90, and also captured third place on bars (9.925) and floor (9.875).

All-Around
Brenna Ho – Winona State
Ho (Sr., Ajax, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson Secondary) had a strong week for Winona State University (Minn.) in the opening meets of the season. At the Hamline University (Minn.) Triangular on Jan. 8, competing against the host Pipers and Simpson College (Iowa), Ho was the all-around champion with a score of 36.950. Ho also was the top individual performer in the uneven bars with a score of 9.350. She was the runner-up in the balance beam scoring a 9.550. On Jan. 6, Winona State competed at Best of Minnesota meet hosted by NCAA Division I University of Minnesota, and Ho scored a 36.675 in the all-around.

Specialist
Danielle Jaworski – Hamline
Jaworski (Sr., Macomb, Mich./Dakota) was the top NCAA Division III finisher in the floor exercise with a sixth-place score of 9.675 at the University of Minnesota “Best of Minnesota Quadrangular” on Jan. 4. She kept that momentum alive with a second-place score of 9.550 in the floor exercise in a triangular with Simpson College (Iowa) and Winona State.