Gymnastics celebrates 2009 season

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The fifth-place University of Arkansas gymnastics team officially closed the books on the 2009 season at their annual banquet Monday night. The Razorbacks wrapped up an amazing season that included an NCAA Super Six appearance, 11 All-Americans and numerous records and firsts. The banquet recapped several of those achievements as well as honored several gymnasts with team awards. This year, sophomore Stacy Bartlett earned her second consecutive Arkansas Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for maintaining the highest grade point average on the team. Barlett is a beam specialist for the Razorbacks who missed the final five meets of the year with an injury. The Arkansas Spirit Award was given to redshirt freshman Molly Lewis. Lewis focused her efforts on the floor exercise for Arkansas with a season-high 9.825 in several meets. The Katie Hardman Gym’Back Pride Award was earned by junior Amy DeFilippo. Created in 2006 and named after Hardman, a former gymnast, this award is issued to the team member who displays great pride in the program and the Arkansas experience. Junior Sarah Nagashima earned the Dana McQuillian Coaches Award this year. This award is given to a team member who represents the team above and beyond normal expectations. Nagashima emerged this year as a team leader through her gymnastics but also through her actions out of the gym. She became an all-arounder for Arkansas this year and earned First-Team All-America honors on beam finishing tied for third as an individual. A new award for 2009 is the Most Outstanding Newcomer and was earned by freshman Jaime Pisani. The all-arounder was a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week and a Second-Team All-American on vault, bars and floor this year. The final award is the Most Outstanding Gymnast and that honor was shared by junors Casey Jo Magee and Michelle Stout. Magee, who also won this award last year, was and SEC First-Team selection, two-time SEC Gymnast of the Week and a Second-Team All-American on floor for the Razorbacks. Stout earned First-Team All-America honors on vault, bars and as an all-arounder and Second-Team All-America honors on floor this year.