The Honda Award nominations recognize outstanding athletes for their athletic skills, academic performance, leadership skills and community service. The Honda Award Winners in 12 NCAA sports are eligible for the Honda-Broderick Cup, which honors the collegiate female athlete of the year. This year's nominees in gymnastics are:
Kylee Botterman - Michigan
Kayla Hoffman - Alabama
Brittani McCullough - UCLA
Sharaya Musser - PSU
Some of the nation's top up and coming club gymnasts competed at the L10 Regionals this past weekend. Here's how your favorite incoming recruits and future commits did this weekend. Check back later for links to videos. As always, check our Results / Club Results section for links to club meets from across the nation. All of the Regional results are now available.
Pommel Horse - T - Daniel Ribeiro, Illinois and Alex Naddour, OU
Parallel Bars -Tyler Mizoguchi, Illinois
Floor -Jacob Dalton, OU
Rings -Brandon Wynn, OSU
Vault -Jacob Dalton, OU
High Bar - Alex Buscaglia, Stanford
Alabama topped the field with an impressive 197.650, edging defending national champs UCLA (197.375). Rounding out the field:
3- OU (197.250)
4- Nebraska (196.725)
5- Utah (196.500)
6- Michigan (196.425)
Stanford scored 363.450 to hold off OU for the men's national title. OU (361.600) and Illinois (360.150) rounded out the top three spots. Michigan's Sam Mikulak won the AA title.
Two International Elites, Ivana Hong, WOGA in Texas, and Becky Wing of Great Britain, have signed with Stanford. They will join Sam Shapiro next fall.
Ivana Hong won the US National vault and beam titles in 2009. She was an alternate to the Olympic Team and she has represented the United States at Worlds and in the Pan Am Games.
Becky Wing is a former Olympian and two-time Worlds competitor.
Ivana Hong's website (out of date)
Advancing from the first session: OU (196.775), Michigan (196.700) and UCLA (196.500).
Advancing from the second session: Alabama (197.05), NU (196.85), and Utah (196.20)
Michigan's Kylee Botterman finished the day with the top AA score, 39.525. Kayla Hoffman narrowly missed out on the AA title with her score of 39.50.
Lissa Naylor has committed to compete for Centenary next season. Naylor, who trains at Elite Champion Gymnastics in Texas, was anticipating her first season at level 10 this year before being sidelined with an ankle injury. In 2010 she competed at the Kurt Thomas Invitational (5th V) and the Houston National Invitational (4th UB).
Advancing from Session 1: OU, Illinois, PSU
Advancing from Session 2: Stanford, Cal, Michigan
As the AAI Award winner, Michigan's Kylee Botterman has been named the top senior student-athlete in NCAA Division I women's gymnastics.
Kaitlyn Betts, L10 with Euro Stars Gymnastics in Michigan has reportedly signed a NLI with Utah State University. We previously announced Betts' commitment to walk on at Kent State, but she has now accepted a full scholarship to USU. USU has not yet issued an official announcement pertaining to the late signing period.
Betts has had a productive competitive season, highlighted by a 1st place AA finish (1st V) at the Wolverine Classic. She recently placed 3rd AA at her state meet.
Cailee Ellsworth, a level 10 from Elite Champion Gymnastics in Plano, Texas has made a committment to TWU for the 2011-2012 year. She finished 11th AA in the 2010 Region III meet.
Video and TWU Release
OU's Steven Legendre was named the recipient of the Nissen-Emery Award. The award goes to the nation's outstanding men's senior.
Link: NCAA Release
Often expected spring signings are announced here as verbal commitments prior to the spring signing period. Any official announcements issued this week will be posted here. However, the late signing period continues through August 1, so watch for additional announcements through the summer.
Bridget Sloan - UF
Georgia Dabritz and Tory Wilson - Utah
Randi Lau to graduate early - LSU
Kaitlyn Betts - USU
Ivana Hong and Becky Wing - Stanford
According to a news article, Sara Shipley has committed to Kentucky. Shipley competes at Level 10 for American Twisters in Florida. This season she placed 2nd AA at the Sun & Surf; 2nd AA (1st UB/FX) at the Presidential Classic; and 2nd AA; 1st V at the Tim Rand Invite.
Austin Sheppard represented Hungary on three events in the qualifying round of the European Championships last week. She placed 13th on vault and narrowly missed a shot at the event finals. Shepphard verbally committed to Michigan for the 2012-13 season.