Gymnast of the Week awards are given by conference offices.
Gymnast of the Week
Emily Shepard – NC State
Shepard continued her incredible fifth-year campaign this week, highlighted by a 39.600 all-around total on Sunday as NC State fired a 197.375 as a team in a quad-meet victory over Penn, Penn State and Texas Woman’s. Her all-around total was the second-highest by an ACC gymnast this season, second only to her own career-high of 39.750 vs. Clemson on Feb. 17. Shepard is the only current ACC gymnast to have posted a 39.600 or higher all-around score at any point in her career, and has done so twice. The native of Olathe, Kansas, used a pair of 9.925 marks to split two event titles, landing in a three-way tie for first place with teammate Katie Harper and Brooke Ferrari of Texas Woman’s on bars, while matching teammate Alexis Ortega on beam for the crown. Shepard’s 9.925 on beam helped propel the Wolfpack to its best score of the season on beam, as her 49.475 matched the program’s fourth-highest score all-time and is NC State’s best beam total since 2004. Shepard finished on the podium on vault as well, tabbing a 9.875 to land in a tie for second place with Penn State’s Maddie Johnson. The senior ended the day with a 9.875 in her last routine at home on floor. Shepard had another strong showing at Temple with Maryland and Penn on Thursday, tying for first place on floor at 9.900 and matching Maryland’s Layla Hammer on beam at 9.925 to add a second-place podium finish. Shepard now has a program-record 54 scores of 9.9+ in her career, 16 of which have come this season.
Specialist of the Week
Brie Clark – Clemson
Clark helped lead Clemson to the highest team score in the ACC this season, 197.600. The Daphne, Alabama, native tied her career-high on floor with the first 9.95 of her Clemson career, picking up a 10.0 from one of the judges on her fifth event win of the season. She also set a career-high on beam with a 9.925, finishing second to teammate Rebecca Wells.
Newcomer of the Week
Katie Harper – NC State
Harper posted three 9.9+ routines this week as she has now compiled ten podium finishes and five scores of 9.9+ throughout her freshman campaign. Her two-meet week was highlighted by splitting Sunday’s bars crown with teammate Shepard and Texas Woman’s Ferrari at 9.925, her fourth score of 9.9+ on bars in the Wolfpack’s last five meets. The Columbus, Ohio, native followed that score up with a career-best 9.900 on beam and landed on the podium as a solo third-place finisher and helped push NC State to a season-high on beam. In Thursday’s quad meet at Temple with Maryland and Penn, Harper recorded a third-place finish on bars with a 9.900, while counting a 9.875 on beam in the Pack’s opening rotation.
Co-Gymnasts of the Week
Gabby Wilson – Michigan
Skyla Shulte – Michigan State
Co-Event Specialists of the Week
Delanie Harkness – Michigan State
Lauren Pearl – Minnesota
Co-Freshmen of the Week
MaKayla Tucker – Michigan State
Kalea McElligott – Penn State
Co-Gymnasts of the Week
Jessica Hutchinson – Denver
Hutchinson registered a near-perfect 9.975 from her beam routine as the Pioneers faced New Hampshire and Southeast Missouri State in a quad meet hosted by Missouri. The mark was the highest score in any event from the four teams and settled her as the second DU gymnast in program history to earn the score on beam in a road contest. En route to winning the weekly nod in back-to-back weeks, the reigning Big 12 Gymnast of the Year claimed the all-around title (39.725) and added event wins in beam, vault (9.925) and bars (9.950). She also scored a 9.875 during her floor routine.
Jordan Bowers – Oklahoma
Bowers scored her second perfect 10 on floor this season at Arkansas. Her overall performance after four events tallied 39.725 points, which included event wins in the all-around and floor. She recorded a 9.900 or better in every event with a 9.925 on the balance beam and a 9.900 on bars and vault. The health and exercise science major has collected 24 event titles this season and is No. 4 in the nation for floor with a 9.960 NQS score. This is her fourth Big 12 gymnastics weekly nod this season.
Specialist of the Week
Ava Siegfeldt – Oklahoma
Siegfeldt’s performance against Arkansas was one for setting firsts of the season. She made an unscheduled collegiate debut on vault, joining the lineup as the anchor. The sophomore procured a 9.9 score with a Yurchenko 1.5. She then earned her first perfect 10 during her first performance on the balance beam in over a year. Only eight gymnasts in the country have accomplished the feat in the event this season. The Sooners tallied a 49.525 total score on beam and won the meet with a final score of 198.350 to 197.275. It is her first Event Specialist honor and her second career weekly award.
Newcomer of the Week
Brynlee Andersen – BYU
Andersen set a career-high 9.975 on the balance beam during a home meet against Ohio State. In the program’s history, only five others have recorded the same score during the event. The freshman helped the Cougars’ beam rotation tally a score of 49.425, the fifth-highest in history. She is the second gymnast from BYU to procure a Big 12 gymnastics weekly nod this season.
Gymnast of the Week
Syd Morris – LIU
At a quad meet with Temple, West Chester and William & Mary on March 10, Morris set a new season high of 39.425 on all-around to place first overall. The Pennsylvania native picked up their second victory of the meet on beam, logging a 9.900 to tie for first place with teammate Brisa Carraro. Morris had a dominant performance on bars as well, leading off with a 9.850 to earn their third first place finish of the meet.
Specialist of the Week
Elise Tisler – Towson
Tisler placed first overall on floor at a dual meet with Maryland on March 10, posting a 9.875 for her third win of the season on the event. She posted Towson’s highest vault score of the meet, logging a 9.850 for second place. Currently she ranks first in EAGL and 24th in the NCAA on the event.
Rookie of the Week
Delaney DeHaan – George Washington
At the LSU quad meet with Auburn and Texas Woman’s on March 8, DeHaan matched her career high 9.875 on bars for the Revolutionaries highest score of the meet. For the last three meets, the Florida native has scored 9.800 or higher on bars.
Gymnast of the Week
Sydney Beers – Cornell
Beers had the best weekend of her career thus far. Not only did she set a new personal best on bars with a 9.775, she also set a personal best and school record in the all around. Her 39.275 bested the previous school record set back in 2017. Her 9.875 on vault and 9.85 on floor were both enough for 1st place in the meet. She tied for 2nd on the bars and tied for 3rd on beam. She was once again a rock for the Big Red on every event and continues to lead the team in all she does.
Specialist of the Week
Caroline Cascadden – West Chester
Senior Caroline Cascadden had an amazing double meet weekend! On Friday, she hit her career high of a 9.9 on balance beam, breaking the individual balance beam record for the 2nd time this season, also finishing in first place and helping her team break their team record on this event with a 49.150. She also shined on floor exercise, where she scored a 9.8 and tied for a 2nd place finish. On Sunday, Caroline performed just as well, earning a 9.825 on balance beam which was enough for a tie for 2nd place at Temple. On Floor exercise, she scored a 9.85 which was the 4th highest score of the meet. Her efforts on floor helped her team break their second team record of the weekend, scoring a 49.175. Caroline has been an incredibly solid competitor for the Golden Rams this season.
Newcomer of the Week
Chloe Dejoy – Yale
Chloe has done a great job for the Bulldogs all season as a first year. This week, she posted a career high 9.85 in the anchor spot giving Yale their highest team bar score with a 48.900. This team score also marks the 7th highest in program history. Chloe also posted a 9.75 on the floor exercise. DeJoy has been one of the Bulldogs most consistent performers all year and has had a huge impact on the team as a first year.
Gymnast of the Week
Payton Murphy – Western Michigan
Payton Murphy tied the program record on floor and won the all-around in WMU’s final home meet of the season. Murphy did not get below a 9.800 in any event, topped off with a 9.975 on foor to match teammate Cassie St. Clair, tying for the win. She totaled a score of 39.450 in the all-around, matching a season high.
Specialist of the Week
Cassie St. Clair – Western Michigan
Plainfield, Ill. (Plainfield North)
St. Clair tied for first on vault and floor in WMU’s final home meet of the season. On Vault she scored a 9.900, a season-high, to tie teammate Halle Faulkner for first place. On floor she tied the program record with a 9.975, tying teammate Payton Murphy in first place.
Gymnast of the Week
Lacey Wedge – Centenary
Wedge highlighted the Ladies’ performance last Friday in their tri-meet against the host West Chester University Golden Rams and the William & Mary Tribe at West Chester, Pa. as she won on floor with a new career-high 9.85 and finished second on vault with a career-high tying 9.725.
Performance of the Week
Brooke Ferrari – Texas Woman’s
Brooke Ferrari received the MIC Performance of the Week Award this week. On Sunday, March 10 at the NC State Quad Meet, Ferrari scored a 9.925 on the bars, which was a career high mark for Ferrari and also tied the TWU individual program record on bars. With the 9.925, Ferrari tied for the event title at NC State. In the other meet of the week for TWU, Ferrari also led TWU on bars at the Purple and Gold Podium Challenge with a 9.875.
Newcomer of the Week
Kaitlyn Hoiland – Texas Woman’s
After scoring high in vault and bars and debuting on beam, Kaitlyn Hoiland was named the MIC Newcomer of the Week. Hoiland, who transferred to TWU this season, has been a mainstay as the anchor on vault and bars. At the Purple and Gold Podium Challenge on March 8, 2024, Hoiland scored a 9.775 on vault and a 9.850 on bars – the 9.850 tied for ninth at the meet. Then, on Sunday, March 10 at the NC State Quad Meet, Hoiland scored a 9.725 on vault and a 9.850 on bars, which tied for seventh. At NC State, Hoiland also debuted for the first time in her career on beam and scored a 9.725.
Coaches’ Choice Award
Sophie Schmitz – Centenary
Schmitz recorded a new season and career-high 9.775 on bars to finish second and finished second in the All-Around with a new season and career-best 37.925 on Sunday against Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Schmitz also tied for seventh place on vault with a 9.55. Schmitz, who competed in the AA for the first time in her career on Friday against West Chester and William & Mary, also earned a season and career-high 9.55 on floor to finish eighth. On Friday, Schmitz finished second in the All-Around with a 37.675 as she competed in the AA for the first time in her career. She tied for sixth place on vault with a new career-best 9.65. She finished 10th on bars with a 9.625 and 14th on floor with a 9.525 in her debut in the event.
Gymnast of the Week
Niya Randolph – Southern Utah
Southern Utah freshman Niya Randolph (Las Vegas, NV) set an all-time MPSF record with a 39.600 all-around in a Thunderbird win over No. 33 BYU (Mar. 4). She set career-highs on vault (9.90) and bars (9.95, MPSF No. 2 all-time) to lead SUU to the MPSF’s first-ever score of 197-plus, with a total of 197.125. Randolph then finished first by tying the sixth-best all-around in MPSF history with 39.450 against No. 23 Penn State (Mar. 8), another SUU team win with the MPSF’s fourth-best total of 196.850. She contributed an exceptional 9.925 bars routine (MPSF top-10 all-time) which helped the Flippin’ Birds to a 49.475 event total, another MPSF and SUU record. This is the sixth career MPSF weekly award for Randolph.
Specialist of the Week
Ellie Cacciola – Southern Utah
Southern Utah junior Ellie Cacciola (Owasso, OK) put up a 9.825 on beam, helping SUU to a 49.325 event total against No. 33 BYU (Mar. 4). On the Floor, Cacciola set a season-high 9.875, helping the Thunderbirds become the first-ever MPSF team to reach 197 with 197.125. She tied her season-high on floor with a 9.875 in the team win over No. 23 Penn State (Mar. 8). Her best routine of the night, however, came on the beam where she scored an incredible 9.950 to become the first gymnast in MPSF history to hit that mark more than once. This is the first career MPSF award for Cacciola.
Freshman of the Week
Brinlee Christensen – Southern Utah
Southern Utah freshman Brinlee Christensen (South Jordan, UT) set a career-high on both vault and floor against No. 33 BYU (Mar. 4). Her vault scored 9.850 to help lead the second-best MPSF vault rotation all-time of 49.250. Christensen’s 9.875 on floor also contributed to SUU becoming the first-ever MPSF team to reach 197 with 197.125. In the win over No. 23 Penn State (Mar. 8), she scored a 9.85 for the bars rotation which set a conference and school record 49.475. This is the second career MPSF weekly award for Christensen.
Gymnast of the Week
Lauren Macpherson – San Jose State
Freshman of the Week
Maggie Slife – Air Forca
Vault – Maggie Slife, Air Force
Uneven Bars – Courtney Blackson, Boise State
Balance Beam – Anna Ferguson, Boise State; Emily Lopez, Boise State
Floor Exercise – Jaudai Lopes, San Jose State
Gymnast of the Week
eMjae Frazier – California
Specialist of the Week
Chloe Widner – Stanford
Freshman/Newcomer of the Week
Katelyn Rosen – UCLA
Coaches’ Choice
Lana Navarro – Washington
Gymnast of the Week
Haleigh Bryant – LSU
Bryant, a senior from Cornelius, N.C., shined at the Podium Challenge as she won the all-around with a score of 39.925, the second highest score in SEC history and the fourth-best mark in the NCAA all-time. Bryant earned a pair of 10.0s on vault and bars, which led her to become the 10th gymnast in NCAA history to record a perfect score on each event in one season. She now has 16 10.0s in her collegiate career, including six this year. Bryant finished as the top performer in every event at the meet, with her first-place scores in the all-around, vault and bars along with a 9.95 on beam and a 9.975 on floor.
Co-Specialists of the Week
Jamison Seats – Alabama
Seats, a freshman from Yorktown, Va., posted a career-high 9.925 on vault to open the quad meet against Minnesota, Illinois and Talladega College. Sears’ leadoff performance on the first rotation helped the Crimson Tide record a season-high score of 49.500 on vault and the program’s second 198+ team score within the last three weeks.
Lauren Williams – Arkansas
Williams, a sophomore from Rogers, Ark., claimed two podium finishes against No. 1 Oklahoma at Bud Walton Arena. Williams earned her sixth vault title of the season after claiming a share of first place with her score of 9.925. She also tied for third place on floor exercise with a score of 9.925.
Savannah Shoenherr – LSU
Schoenherr, a sixth-year senior from Athens, Ga., garnered two podium finishes to help the Tigers claim the top spot at the Podium Challenge against No. 14 Auburn, George Washington and Texas Woman’s. Schoenherr recorded a season- and career-high 9.95 on vault as well as a 9.925 on the uneven bars, claiming second-place finishes behind teammate Haleigh Bryant.
Freshman of the Week
Lily Smith – Georgia
Smith, a freshman from Limerick, Pa., registered her highest away all-around score at No. 7 Michigan, taking home a share of the title with a 39.500. Smith also posted the highest scores on bars and beam with a 9.950 and 9.850, respectively, notching her best away marks on those events. She led the GymDogs on floor, matching her season high of 9.950 in the anchor position.
