Gymnast of the Week
Leah Johnson
Northern Illinois
So. ● (Glenview, Ill. /Glenbrook)
All-Around
Johnson claimed the state title in the all-around at the Illinois Classic with a career-best score of 39.075. She tied for first place in the state on the vault by tying her season and career high with a 9.850 to earn All-State honors on that event as well. Johnson also tied for fourth on the floor exercise with a 9.800 and tied for fifth on the beam with a 9.700. She added a 9.725 on the bars to complete her day and lead NIU to a second-place finish as the Huskies bested No. 20 Illinois in the meet.
Other Nominees:
Kelly Watson
Ball State
Sr. ● (Ravenna, Mich. /Allendale)
Vault, Bars, Beam
Watson earned a 9.600 on vault, while performing a 9.675 on bars, collected a 9.550 on beam and finished the night with a 9.500 on floor in her last all-around competition at home. Watson was the lone Cardinal to perform in the all-around. She placed second with a 38.325 total.
Morgan Balzer
Bowling Green
Fr. ● (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington)
All-Around
Balzer competed in the all-around for the fifth time this year.
She finished with a 39.500, her third best score on the season.
Her biggest score came on the floor where she flipped her way to a 9.800 a new season best and the highest score on the season for the Falcons.
Jules Passy
Central Michigan
Sr. ● (Ajax, Ontario/Northview Heights)
All-Around
Passy became only the second gymnast in the MAC this season to top 39.000 in the all-around twice, scoring a season-high 39.150 and winning the all-around as Central Michigan improved its MAC record to 5-1. That all-around mark is the third-best score in the conference this season. Jules matched her career-high on balance beam with a 9.875 to finish second on that event. She equaled her season-high scores on both floor exercise, which she won with a 9.850, and vault with a 9.650. On bars, she scored a strong 9.775 to place third individually.
Dyuen Zu Vuong
Eastern Michigan
So. ● (Ottawa, Ontario-DelaSalle)
All-Around
Zu Vuong placed fourth on the balance beam this past weekend at Central Michigan with a score of 9.825, a season-high mark en route to a third place finish in the all-around competition where she tallied a 38.675.
Jill Kowalski
Kent State
Jr. ● (Carol Stream, Ill. /Glenbard North)
All-Around
Kowalski finished second on bars at the All-Ohio Championship with a career-high tying effort of 9.850. She finished third in the all-around with a fantastic score of 38.900. She also posted solid scores of 9.700 on beam and 9.575 on vault.
Jennifer Sturgis
Western Michigan
Sr. ● (Novi, Mich./Novi)
All-Around
Sturgis tallied two first-place finishes against Ball State, as the broncos finished the regular season with a 4-2 MAC record. Sturgis took the all-around title for the fifth time this season, totaling a 38.350. She also tied for first in the floor scoring a 9.675. She had the team's best finish on the bars, placing fourth with a 9.650.
Specialist of the Week
Jessica Neel
Central Michigan
So. ● (Fairborn, Ohio/Fairborn)
Vault, Balance Beam, Floor Exercise
Neel set career-highs on both vault and beam and matched her career-high on floor exercise. She scored 9.775 on vault, which tied for first place on that event, and hit for a 9.850 on balance beam to finish third individually. Finally, as a last-minute addition to the lineup on floor, she matched her career-high with a 9.750 as the Chippewas posted their second-highest score of the season, which was also the second-best team total of any MAC team in 2007.
Other Nominees:
Bibiana Rodriguez-Lockwood
Ball State
Fr. ● (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Academia Maria Reina)
Bars
Rodriguez-Lockwood tallied an impressive career high 9.800 on bars against Western Michigan on Friday night (March 23). The high score earned the freshman first place honors for her routine.
Jacque Bernhardt
Bowling Green
Jr. ● (Chandler, Ariz. /Chandler)
Vault/Floor
Bernhardt competed on the vault and floor for the Orange and Brown. She finished in second with her second highest score on the season, 9.850. She also set a new season best on floor with a 9.775.
Kristin Peters
Kent State
Jr. ● (Maineville, Ohio/Kings)
Vault, Bars, Beam
Peters led the Flashes in their second place finish at the All-Ohio Championship. She earned marks of 9.900 on both bars and beam and captured first place honors on these events as well. With those victories Peters has earned a total of nine bars titles and five beam titles for the season.
Jolene Worley
Eastern Michigan
Jr. ● (Orlando, Fla./William R. Boone)
Floor
Worley notched a second place finish in the floor exercise program this past weekend against Central Michigan, posting a 9.825, tying her season-high. Worley would also tie for fifth on the uneven bars with teammate Rebecca Fuss, posting a 9.725.
Jennifer Naughton
Northern Illinois
So. ● (Smithville, Mo. /Smithville)
Floor, Vault
Naughton picked up All-State honors at the Illinois Classic by tying for first place on the floor exercise with a career and season-best score of 9.850 and took third place on the balance beam with a 9.750 mark as she recorded NIU*s highest scores on two of her three events. Naughton also added a 9.800, the second best score on the team and fifth in the meet, on the vault as NIU defeated No. 20 Illinois en route to a second place finish at the unofficial *state gymnastics
Championship* in Illinois.
Courtney Lesson
Western Michigan
Jr. ● (Troy, N.Y./Lansingburgh)
Vault, Beam
Lesson took two first-place finishes against Ball State, the most for her in a single meet this season. She won the vault for the third time this year, scoring a 9.775. She also placed first in the beam, with a 9.725.