Women's Gymnasts of the Week – Feb. 20-26, 2023

Co-Gymnasts of the Week
Sierra Brooks – Michigan

• Helped Michigan to its eighth Big Ten Regular Season title and second-straight with eight top-five finishes in a pair of meets
• Earned her third all-around title of the season with a 39.675 and shared the beam title with a 9.950 against Nebraska on Feb. 27
• Won the floor title in session one of the Big Five Meet with a 9.925
• The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns her fifth career Big Ten Gymnast of the Week award and her third of the season

Gabrielle Stephen – Michigan State

• Won her third and fourth-straight all-around titles over the weekend, putting up the highest all-around score between both sessions at Big Fives with a 39.575 and helping the Spartans clinch a share of their first Big Ten Regular Season Championship
• Won her first career event title on floor with a 9.950 and scored a 9.925 on vault (T4), 9.850 on bars (T10) and 9.875 on beam (T4) at Big Fives, contributing to MSU’s program-record 197.675 team score and 49.525 vault program record
• Won the all-around in the 197.450-196.425 win at Illinois Feb. 27 with a total of 39.525 and earned a share of the vault title with a 9.850
• Collects her first career Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honor

Event Specialist of the Week
Maddie Quarles – Minnesota

• Achieved perfection for the first time in her career on Saturday, earning a perfect 10 on vault at the Big Five meet
• Contributed to the Gophers’ season-high score on vault (49.425)
• Ranks 22nd in the country on vault with a national qualifying score (NQS) of 9.890
• The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree collects her first career Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week honor

Freshman of the Week
Nikki Smith – Michigan State

• Scored a career-high 39.550 in the all-around at Big Fives on Feb. 25 to place second and help the Spartans to all-around and vault program scoring records and their first Big Ten Regular Season Championship title
• Tied her career high with a 9.950 on vault (T2), scored a 9.825 on bars (T10) and beam (T13) and 9.950 on floor (T1) to help Michigan State defeat Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State and Rutgers in the second session of Big Fives
• Tied for the all-around title in a win at Illinois on Feb. 27 with a 39.525, highlighted by a program-record tying score of 9.975 on floor for the event title
• Earns her third career Freshman of the Week award

Gymnast of the Week
Jordan Bowers – Oklahoma
Bowers scored a perfect 10 on her floor routine to win her second title in the event this season as the Sooners hosted conference opponent West Virginia. She is the eighth Sooner to receive a perfect score on floor and the first since 2019. The sophomore also won her fourth consecutive title on the balance beam, scoring a 9.950. The Lincoln, Nebraska native finished the meet scoring a 9.875 on vault and a 9.990 on the uneven bars to win her fifth-straight all-around title with 39.725 points.

Specialist of the Week
Kathering LeVasseur – Oklahoma
LeVasseur joined teammate Jordan Bowers in scoring one of two perfect scores from Big 12 student-athletes during week 8. She scored 10.000 on the vault, which was the only event she competed in last week. The junior received her third individual vault title and helped OU post this season’s second-best 49.625 total vault score. In the NQS (National Qualifying Scores), LeVasseur sits in fourth place with a 9.925.

Newcomer of the Week
Faith Torrez – Oklahoma
Torrez claimed her fourth consecutive Newcomer of the Week accolade as she helped Oklahoma secure a win to remain undefeated at 12-0 this season. She garnered a 9.875 on the uneven bars while she matched her career highs on beam (9.900) and floor (9.950). The freshman ranks sixth in the country in the floor exercise while leading all Big 12 freshmen on floor, bars and beam.

Gymnast of the Week
Deja Chambliss – George Washington
Chambliss finished first overall on beam with a 9.900 at Towson on Sunday, also winning the all-around title with a second-straight 39.350. The graduate student also helped George Washington to a season high on vault and beam at Towson with a pair of 9.900s on the events. In addition, the Chesterfield, Va. native finished second overall at Towson on vault and floor with a 9.900 on each event.

Specialist of the Week
Chloe Negrete – NC State
Negrete matched career highs on vault (9.900) and floor (9.950), both of which earned first-place finishes. The sophomore tied for third place on beam with a 9.825. In addition, the Frisco, Texas native has now either posted or tied for NC State’s best score on beam in every meet this season.

Rookie of the Week
Syd Morris – LIU
Morris broke the school record in the all around for the second-straight week with a 39.300. The freshman also set a new program record of 9.875 on vault, along with teammate Jah’Liyah Bedminster. In addition, the Landenberg, Pa. native recorded matching 9.900s on beam on both Monday and Sunday—setting a new career high—and debuted a standing full on beam on Sunday.

Gymnast of the Week
Sydney Beers – Cornell
Once again, Sydney was an extremely solid competitor for the Big Red at the Ivy Championships. Her steady performances helped lead her to winning the Ivy All-Around title – Cornell’s first Ivy all-around champion since 1997. In addition to winning the all around, she unveiled a new bar dismount which helped her score a season high of 9.700, which also ties her highest score from last year on bars. Beers’ all around score was her highest so far this year, and 3rd highest since she started competing for the Big Red. Coach Melanie Hall says that Sydney continues to push herself daily in the gym to improve on her gymnastics and is a great role model for everyone on the team. This week marks the 3rd Gymnast of the Week honor Beers has earned this season.

Specialist of the Week
Nicole Javinett – Bridgeport
Javinett performed two of her best balance beam routines in competition this past week week. At LIU, she earned a 9.95 for a near-perfect set, receiving a 10.0 from one judge. Nicole took first place against athletes from LIU, Towson, & Brown. At home, Nicole performed an almost identical routine scoring a 9.775 to tie for 1st place with her teammate. Coach Lorraine Galow says that Nicole’s consistent commitment to detail & extra work in the gym shines through in competition!

Newcomer of the Week
Abby Royer – Southern Connecticut
The reigning GEC Newcomer of the Week had her strongest performance of the year for the Owls this past weekend. With a pair of 9.8 scores on beam and floor, Royer helped the Owls match their season high team score of a 193.4. Abby’s 9.8 on beam was good for 4th place overall against New Hampshire, Illinois St. and Pitt.

Co-Gymnasts of the Week
Hannah DeMers – Central Michigan
Hannah DeMers had an impressive performance against Ball State on Sunday as she tied her career highs on vault and balance beam. DeMers placed first on beam with a 9.925 score and placed second on vault with a 9.900. She placed first and tied her season high in all-around with a 39.475. DeMers tied for first on uneven parallel bars with a 9.875 and placed sixth on floor with a 9.775.

Payton Murphy – Western Michigan
Murphy broke her own school all-around record for the second time this season as the Broncos defeated George Washington, Fisk, Bowling Green and Ursinus at GWU on Friday. She finished with a 39.525. Murphy tied for first place on beam with a 9.900 and on floor with a 9.925. She also contributed to WMU breaking its match record on bars at 49.325, with Murphy scoring a 9.850.

Specialist of the Week
Suki Pfister – Ball State
Junior Suki Pfister continued to shine on vault, earning a career-best and league-leading score of 9.950 to win the event in Sunday’s victory over Central Michigan. The effort included a 10.00 from the head judge in the event and tied as the third-best individual score in program history. Right now, Pfister leads the MAC and is tied for 12th nationally with a vault NQS of 9.900. In addition, as Ball State’s next-to-last competitor on floor, Pfister would earn a countable score of 9.750 to remove a 9.725 and help Ball State secure the .025 victory over the Chippewas at 196.100 to 196.075.

Alyssa Guns – Kent State
Kent State’s Alyssa Guns won on floor with a 9.925 to help lead the Golden Flashes to victory against Eastern Michigan on Sunday. This marks her second-consecutive floor title and third of the season, and her 9.895 NQS in the event is the second-highest mark in the conference. The sophomore also tallied a 9.800 on beam as the Flashes combined for their highest score in the event so far this season (49.175).

Gymnast of the Week
Gayla Griswold – Lindenwood
Griswold had an outstanding afternoon during senior day this past Sunday in Hyland Arena. The Baton Rouge, La. native finished top-five in all three events that she competed in during the meet. Griswold took first on vault, compiling a season-high 9.875. She also took the top spot-on floor, earning a 9.900, matching a season-high score that she set back on February 10th. The senior finished fifth on beam with a score of 9.750.

Performance of the Week
Jaye Mack – Illinois State
Mack was back to her old ways on floor for Illinois State at New Hampshire. For the second week in a row, Mack posted a score of 9.925 as she and the rest of her teammates put up their best team score of the season with a 49.275 on floor. That mark ranks fifth in school history and moved the Redbirds up to No. 30 in the country as a team on the floor. Mack’s 9.925 is tied for the best score on the event by any gymnast this season in the MIC and it marks the fifth time in her career she has hit that number in competition.

Newcomer of the Week
Nirel Bart-Williams – Illinois State
Bart-Williams shined for the Redbirds in the quad meet at New Hampshire, as the Redbirds posted their second-highest team score of the season. She started the meet with a career-best score of 9.900 to win the vault competition and stayed consistent the rest of the way to finish with a career-high all-around score of 39.325 to win outright. That score is the highest of any gymnast in the MIC this season and she currently ranks No. 2 in the MIC with an all-around NQS of 38.835.

Coaches’ Choice Award
Mallory Desch – SEMO
Desch, a senior from Lenexa, Kan., competed in her first rotation of the season (outside of exhibition routines) for SEMO on the bars last Saturday night against Greenville. Desch registered a 9.275 for the rotation. When an athlete went out with an Achilles, and another athlete got a concussion from a car accident this week, Mallory rose to the occasion. She was put in the lineup for bars this weekend and she HIT. It was her first collegiate bar routine (as a senior) and the excitement from her, and the team was indescribable.

Gymnast of the Week
Velandra Brochi – Air Force
Air Force sophomore Velandra Brochi (Round Rock, TX) set season or career-bests in all four events in the Falcons’ season-high 195.650 at Sacramento State (Feb. 24). Brochi’s 39.250 all-around title marked the third-highest four-event total in Air Force history. She earned a season-high 9.750 on the vault, tying for third-place, and tied a career-best 9.825 on bars. She set career-bests on the balance beam with a 9.850 and a season-high 9.825 on floor. This is the first career MPSF weekly award for Brochi.

Specialist of the Week
Amber Koeth – Sacramento State
Sacramento State grad Amber Koeth (Henderson, NV) claimed at least a share of first-place on all three of her events against Air Force (Feb. 24). Koeth started her meet with a career-high tying 9.875 on bars to finish tied for first. She then scored 9.900 on beam to win the event outright, before a 9.850 routine on floor tied for first. This is the second career MPSF weekly award for Koeth, and a repeat from last week.

Freshman of the Week
Kara Houghton – Sacramento State
Sacramento State freshman Kara Houghton (Parker, CO) helped lead the Hornets to a season-high 195.725 by tying for first-place in two of her three events against Air Force (Feb. 24). Houghton set a career-best with a winning 9.875 on bars in her first routine. She then scored 9.700 on beam and ended with a career-high and winning 9.850 on floor. The event victories were Houghton’s first of her career. This is the first career MPSF honor for Houghton.

Gymnast of the Week
Brianna Brooks – Utah State

Specialists of the Week
Vault – Caitlin Kho, Southern Utah; Alivia Ostendorf, Utah State
Uneven Bars – Emily Lopez, Boise State
Balance Beam – Emily Lopez, Boise State; Brianna Brooks, Utah State; Carley Bayles, Utah State; Mina Margraf, BYU
Floor Exercise – Alivia Ostendorf, Utah State; Karley McClain, Southern Utah; Emma Ingrassia, Southern Utah

All-Around Gymnast of the Week
Kelsey Gates – Rhode Island College
Kelsey Gates had an amazing performance this weekend competing at the University of Bridgeport. For the first time she competed a new pass on floor, Rudi+ back full lay out. Kelsey finished in first place on floor, broke the school record with a 9.9 on that event, and finished the meet with a creer high All Around score of 37.850.

Specialist of the Week
Abby Bang – SUNY Cortland
“In the final home meet of her career on Senior Day, Abby won vault with a 9.675 and tied for first on floor exercise with a season-high 9.775 during Cortland’s dual meet versus Ithaca. She has scored a 9.60 or better on floor and a 9.55 or better on vault in each of her last five meets.

Gymnast of the Week
Jade Carey – Oregon State

• Earns the honor for the third straight week and sixth time this season after winning three event titles and capturing the all-around title against No. 21 Stanford, matching the OSU program record she set last week in the all-around (39.875).
• Her performance helped the Beavers stay unbeaten in Pac-12 competition with a 198.075-197.575 win over the Cardinal.
• Her second straight 39.875 matches her own mark for the highest all-around in the country this season and is tied for the 13th-highest score in NCAA history.
• For a second consecutive meet and third this season, posted two perfect 10s in the same meet, earning her third 10 of the year on the floor and her first on bars.
• Added a 9.900 on the vault to tie for second and a 9.975 to win beam.
• Carey leads the country in the all-around (39.815) and on floor (9.985), is tied for first on vault (9.960), tied for second overall on beam (9.955) and is seventh on bars (9.950).
• This is her ninth career Gymnast of the Week honor and 15th weekly award overall.

Specialist of the Week
Jaedyn Rucker – Utah

• Earns the honor after scoring the first perfect 10 of her career to win vault and help Utah to the third-best score in program history (198.550) in a top-10 victory over No. 6 California.
• The reigning NCAA Champion on vault became the first Ute to score a 10.0 on vault since 2020.
• The senior won her fourth title of the season.
• Added a 9.875 on the floor against Cal and a 9.875 on the floor earlier in the week at Arizona State.
• Ranks 12th nationally on the vault (9.90).
• First weekly award of the season for Rucker and sixth overall of her career.

Freshman/Newcomer of the Week
Anna Roberts – Stanford

• Earns first weekly honor after setting new or matching career highs in every event and the all-around in a pair of meets against Washington and No. 11 Oregon State.
• Recorded top-10 finishes in every event and the all-around in both meets, setting a new career-high of 39.575 to finish third in the all-around against Oregon State.
• Also matched her career high in vault (9.900) to finish first and tied for second against the Huskies and Beavers, respectively.
• The Seattle native also set a career-high on floor against the Beavers, finishing tied for second behind Carey with a 9.950, while her 9.875 on beam was also a career high.
• Roberts’ performance helped the Cardinal score a 197.575 against OSU, which was the fifth-best regular season score in program history and its top home score since 2004.

Coaches’ Choice
Hannah Scharf – Arizona State

• Earns her first career Coaches Choice honor after leading the Sun Devils to a pair of big wins last week over then-No. 4 Utah (197.550-197.500) and then-No. 26 Washington (197.475-197.250). ASU’s scores were the 11th and 12th best, respectively, in program history.
• Won the all-around at both meets, which included setting a career high of 39.675 in the AA against Utah to help ASU to its first dual win over the Utes since 2003 and first home win in the series since 2000. The mark also ranks 10th-best all time in program history.
• With the meet against top-five ranked Utah coming down to the last event, the senior All-American needed a 9.875 or better on floor in the anchor spot and she scored a 9.925 to win the event and secure the big victory over Utah.
• Finished in the top two of seven of eight individual events with four titles over the two meets, which included a career-high 9.975 on bars vs. the Utes, helping the Sun Devils to their second-best team bars scores in program history (49.550)
• Fourth career weekly award overall.

Gymnast of the Week
Haleigh Bryant – LSU
Bryant, a junior from Cornelius, N.C., posted a career-high all-around score of 39.800 in the win at No. 9 Alabama. With her win in the all-around, Bryant became the sixth gymnast in LSU history to record an all-around score of 39.800 or higher. She also recorded her seventh career perfect 10 on vault to win the event title. Bryant now owns 20 titles this year, with seven on vault and the all-around.

Specialist of the Week
Derrian Gobourne – Auburn
Gobourne, a fifth-year senior from Sarasota, Fla., won at least a share of the event title in two of the three events she competed in during the win over No. 14 Georgia. Gobourne set a season best on bars, scoring a 9.95 that placed her in a tie for first with teammate Sunisa Lee. In the anchor spot, she scored a 9.95 on floor to win the event. Gobourne opened the meet with a 9.9 on vault to finish in a tie for third overall.

Freshman of the Week
Kayla DiCello – Florida
DiCello, a freshman from Boyds, Md., led the nation’s freshmen last week with an all-around score of 39.600 to take third in the win over No. 12 Kentucky. DiCello shared the uneven bars title with teammates Trinity Thomas and Leanne Wong with a 9.975, her third uneven bars title of the season. She also shared the balance beam title with UK’s Raena Worley at 9.925 for her second beam win of season.

All-Around
Emily Buffington – UW-Oshkosh
Buffington (Jr., Huntersville, N.C./Lake Norman Charter) set the all-around program record in UW-Oshkosh’s dual win over UW-Eau Claire on Feb. 24, with a score of 38.725. The previous record was held by Krystal Walker, who scored 38.425 in the 2014 and 2016 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championships. Buffington led all gymnasts on the vault, uneven parallel bars and balance beam with scores of 9.775, 9.625 and 9.700 points, respectively. On the floor exercise, she earned a score of 9.625.

Specialist
Kelsey Kollhoff – UW-Whitewater
Kolhoff (Jr., Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg) tied the program record on the floor exercise with a score of 9.875 to win the event. The score bolstered UW-Whitewater’s 48.875 in the event, tied for the second-highest team floor score in program history. In addition, Kollhoff was the runner-up on the balance beam with a score of 9.550. The Warhawks topped Hamline University (Minn.) 192.050-182.625 in the dual, registering the 10th-highest team total in UW-Whitewater history.