Pac-12 announces gymnastics weekly honors

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - The Pac-12 Conference office announced today the Pac-12 women’s gymnastics weekly honors for the week of Feb. 10 - Feb. 17. UCLA’s Sydney Sawa was named the Gymnast of the Week, OREGON STATE’s Madeline Gardiner was voted Specialist of the Week, and CALIFORNIA’s Jessica Howe was selected as the Freshman/Newcomer of the Week.

Senior Sydney Sawa claimed the all-around title with a career-high 39.45 to help lead UCLA to a 196.675-195.650 road win at Washington. The Calgary, AB., native scored a career high 9.925 on beam to take first in the event. She also earned a first-place showing on floor, tying with two fellow Bruins with a 9.90. Sawa averages 9.925 on floor, 9.863 on vault and 9.810 on bars. She leads the team with four individual wins on floor and has seven individual wins on the season.  

Gardiner, a freshman from Cambridge, Ontario, performed in three events for the first time in her career and helped lead the Beavers to their fourth straight Comfort Suites Invitation title. Other schools in the invitational included No. 16 Boise State, Utah State and Seattle Pacific. Gardiner scored a career-best 9.95 on the floor to win the individual title and also tied for first on beam to tie her career high with a 9.875. It was the first two wins of her career. 

California freshman Jessica Howe tallied career-high scores on three of the four events she competed in Cal’s dominating win over Sacramento State and San Jose State. The Plano, Texas, native was able to beat out seven other all-around competitors to claim the crown with an impressive 39.325. Howe was a runner up on vault (9.875) and bars (9.85) for new career-highs. She also finished fourth on floor with a career-best 9.85.

This is UCLA’s second Gymnast of the Week honor for the 2014 season and 48th all-time. Madeline Gardiner’s has earned he first Specialist of the Week honor and Oregon State’s 14th overall. This is Howe’s first Freshman of the Week award and will mark the second time since the award has been introduced that California has earned this honor.

Gymnast of the Week has been selected every week of the season since 2001. The Specialist of the Week award was added in 2008. It is the second year for Freshman/Newcomer of the Week.

Be sure to tune into Pac-12 Networks this week to watch No. 4 Utah host No. 11 Oregon State in Salt Lake City this Saturday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. MT.

For more information including a complete television schedule please visit www.pac-12.com.

Also Nominated:
Gymnast of the Week: Allison Flores, ARIZ; Chelsea Tang, OSU; Aliza Vaccher, WASH.

Special Performance of the Week: Jessie Sisler, ARIZ; Serena Leong, CAL; Sadiqua Bynum, UCLA; Jackie McCartin, WASH.

Freshman/Newcomer of the Week: Krysten Howard, ARIZ; Madeline Gardiner, OSU; Jennifer Pinches, UCLA; Alexandra Yacalis, WASH.

2014 Pac-12 Women’s Gymnastics Weekly Award Winners