Four named All-Americans
FAYETTEVILLE – Four different Arkansas gymnasts have combined to earn a total of seven All-America honors for the 2011 season.
Junior Jaime Pisani, freshman Katherine Grable, and sophomores Amy Borsellino and Kelci Lewis are all All-Americans for this year.
Pisani is an All-American for the third straight year. She has also earned three All-America honors for the third consecutive season. The Ringwood, N.J., native earned first-team honors on floor, and second-team honors in the all-around and on beam.
"Jaime had a great national meet," co-head coach Mark Cook says. "She had a great year. She was steady and stayed focused."
Grable earned first-team honors on floor and second-team on vault.
Borsellino is a first-teamer on vault and Lewis a second-teamer on floor.
Pisani earned first-team honors on floor after scoring a 9.95 in the NCAA Championship Session I Semifinal, which ties the school record she already shared. Her score was the high for the day in both sessions and she went on to tie for fifth in the nation in the NCAA Individual Event Finals.
She tied for seventh in the nation in the all-around, finishing the Session I Semifinal with a 39.35 after her 9.95 on floor, 9.825 on bars, 9.80 on beam and 9.775 on vault.
Her 9.80 on beam tied for seventh in the session to put her on the second team.
Grable tied for fourth on floor in the session with a 9.90 to make the first team and she went on to tie for ninth in the individual event finals. Her 9.875 vault tied for seventh in the session to put her on the second team.
Borsellino had a 9.90 vault to make the first team and she placed 15th in the individual event finals.
Lewis had a 9.85 floor to tie for eighth in the session and earn a spot on the second team.
Grable, Borsellino and Lewis are All-Americans for the first time.
"We had three in the event finals and that ties our record," Cook says. "Amy had an outstanding first vault and did a good job. Jaime and Katherine were phenomenal with their routines, and we were hoping Kelci would make the All-America team, which is great for her."
Pisani, in 2009, was a second-teamer on vault, bars and floor. In 2010, she was a first-teamer on vault and floor, and a second-teamer in the all-around. She has nine total All-America honors in three years.
Arkansas has now had eight individuals earn a total of 28 All-America honors, all since 2008. Seven of those individuals and 25 of those honors have been in the last three years.
Pisani’s nine All-America honors are now the school record. Casey Jo Magee, who earned four first-team honors as a senior in 2010, was the previous leader with eight career honors.
Arkansas’ All-Time All-Americans:2008: Michelle Stout, first-team, VCasey Jo Magee, second-team, V, UB2009: Alex LaChance, first-team, BBCasey Jo Magee, second-team, V, FXSarah Nagashima, first-team, BBJaime Pisani, second-team, V, UB, FXMichelle Stout, first-team, V, UB, AA; second-team, FX2010:Casey Jo Magee, first-team, AA, BB, UB, FXJaime Pisani, first-team, V, FX; second-team, AA2011:Amy Borsellino, first-team, VKatherine Grable, first-team, FX; second-team, VKelci Lewis, second-team, FXJaime Pisani, first-team, FX; second-team AA, UB
Arkansas’ All-American Selections:Jaime Pisani – 9Casey Jo Magee – 8Michelle Stout – 5Katherine Grable – 2Amy Borsellino – 1Alex LaChance – 1Kelci Lewis – 1Sarah Nagashima – 1
