Men's Gymnasts of the Week – Feb. 23-25, 2024

Gymnast of the Week awards are given by conference offices and the College Gymnastics Association.

Gymnast of the Week
Fuzzy Benas – Oklahoma
See below for accomplishments.

Rookie of the Week
Brandon Dang – Illinois
See below for accomplishments.

Specialist of the Week
Patrick Hoopes – Air ForcePatrick Hoopes – Illinois
Junior Patrick Hoopes rose to the top at the 2024 USA Gymnastics Winter Cup, a prestigious invite-only competition with the nation’s top gymnasts. Hoopes claimed the title on the pommel horse with 29.600 (14.850, 14.750), securing a spot on the U.S. National Team. Hoopes is the first Falcon to win an event title at the Winter Cup Challenge.

Gymnast of the Week
Josh Karnes – Penn State

• Totaled an 82.8500 in the All-Around in Sunday’s finals of the Winter Cup to finish second
• Posted scores of 14.450 and 14.200 in the floor exercise, the third and fourth highest scores of the weekend in the event.
• Garners his fourth Gymnast of the Week award and second of the season

Freshman and Specialist of the Week
Brandon Dang – Illinois

• Posted a 14.8500 in the pommel horse in Sunday’s finals of the Winter Cup, the event’s highest pommel horse score
• Earns his fourth Freshman of the Week award and second Event Specialist of the Week honor

Gymnast of the Week
Jaden Blank – Army
Freshman Jaden Blank represented Army West Point and the ECAC well this past weekend at Winter Cup. Blank put up a quality performance, posting the highest overall all-around score by a CGA rookie, placing 8th on Floor Exercise Day 1, and qualifying for finals.

Gymnast of the Week
Fuzzy Benas – Oklahoma
Oklahoma redshirt sophomore Fuzzy Benas (Richmond, TX) registered the highest finish among collegiate gymnasts in the all-around at the Winter Cup, tying for fifth-place and earning a spot on the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team. His 163.600 total was comprised of an 82.950 on Sunday and an 80.650 on Friday. Benas scored his highest on vault with a combined 29.050, and finished among the top-14 in every other event. He placed fifth on parallel bars with a total of 28.400, and totaled 27.200 on floor exercise (10th), 27.050 on still rings (12th), 26.150 on high bar (13th) and 25.750 on pommel horse (14th).. This is the fifth career MPSF weekly award for Benas.

Specialist of the Week
Jack Freeman – Oklahoma
Oklahoma fifth-year Jack Freeman (Palestine, TX) placed fourth in the high bar competition at the Winter Cup, registering a combined score of 27.450. He notched a 13.950 in the opening round and followed with a 13.500 in the finals to earn a fourth-place finish on the event. This is the second career MPSF weekly award for Freeman.