UCLA sweeps Pac-12 weekly gymnastics honors

SAN FRANCISCO – Today the Pac-12 Conference announced the Pac-12 women’s gymnastics weekly honors for the week of Feb. 2 - 8. UCLA’s Sadiqua Bynum was named the Gymnast of the Week, UCLA’s Angi Cipra was voted Specialist of the Week, and UCLA’s Madison Preston was named the Freshman / Newcomer of the Week. This marks the first time all three awards have been won by a single school since the Pac-12 started awarding three weekly honors in 2013. 

UCLA senior Sadiqua Bynum earned Gymnast of the Week honors for the first time ever after leading the Bruins to an extremely close come-from-behind victory over No. 6 Utah. The outcome of the meet was in Bynum’s hands and she delivered, scoring 9.95 on floor exercise to give UCLA the 197.100-197.075 edge over Utah at the last minute. Bynum was the final competitor of the day and needed a 9.925 to tie the meet. Instead, she finished with a 9.95 to tie her season-high and give the No. 7 Bruins the win. Bynum had accomplished the same feat in UCLA’s season opener: scoring 9.95 on the final routine to clinch the win over Alabama. 

Bynum has scored 9.9 or higher in four of five meets this year. Against Utah, her 9.85 on vault also helped the Bruins achieve a season-high team score of 197.100. UCLA also reached a season-high score on floor, coming in at 49.600. Bynum is one of five Bruins ranked in the Top 20 in the nation on floor, checking in at No. 18 with a season average of 9.890. As a team, the Bruins rank second in the country on floor. 

UCLA junior Angi Cipra earned Specialist of the Week honors for her performance on vault and floor in the Bruins’ thrilling win Saturday. Cipra scored a career-high 9.975 on the floor, including scoring a 10.0 from one judge, to help the Bruins clinch a close win over Utah. UCLA entered the final rotation trailing by 0.250 but rallied with a season-best team total of 49.600 on the floor to capture the narrow victory, led by Cipra’s near-perfect routine. Cipra’s score has her at No. 12 in the national rankings on floor with a season average of 9.905. She has scored 9.9 or higher in four of five meets. The victory on floor was her first this season. Cipra also contributed on vault, scoring a 9.8 in the event.

UCLA freshman Madison Preston earned Freshman/Newcomer of the Week honors to complete UCLA’s sweep of this week’s awards. Preston scored career-highs on three events against Utah, helping the Bruins achieve season-highs for team score and floor score. She started her day by setting a new career-high on vault with a second-place score of 9.85. Preston also competed on balance beam for the first time this year and hit her routine, scoring 9.775. On floor exercise, she was the kick-start to UCLA’s final rotation comeback. After the leadoff performer scored 9.675, there was little room for error for the Bruins, and Preston stepped up in just her second competitive floor routine of her college career, getting the crowd and team into a frenzy with her 9.925 score. Preston is now ranked No. 14 in the nation on floor with a 9.9 average. 

A gymnast of the week has been selected every week of the season since 2001. The Specialist of the Week award was added in 2008 and Freshman/Newcomer of the Week was added in 2013.

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

Also Nominated: 
Gymnast of the Week: Shelby Edwards, ARIZ; Toni-Ann Williams, CAL; Elizabeth Price, STAN; Samantha Partyka, UTAH; Joslyn Goings, WASH

Special Performance of the Week: Kennady Schneider, ARIZ; Zoe Draghi, CAL; Nicolette McNair, STAN; Kassandra Lopez, UTAH

Freshman/Newcomer of the Week: Lauryn Mattson, ARIZ; Corinne Belkoff, ASU; Sylvie Seilnacht, CAL; Mary Jacobsen, OSU; Taryn Fitzgerald, STAN; Sabrina Schwab, UTAH

2016 Pac-12 Women’s Gymnastics Weekly Award Winners:

                 Gymnast                               Specialist                            Freshman/Newcomer     
Jan. 12     Elizabeth Price, STAN           Hallie Mossett, UCLA           Sabrina Schwab, UTAH
Jan. 19     Elizabeth Price, STAN           Breanna Hughes, UTAH       Katelyn Ohashi, UCLA
Jan. 26     Elizabeth Price, STAN           Baely Rowe, UTAH               Katelyn Ohashi, UCLA
Feb. 2       Toni-Ann Williams, CAL         Ivana Hong, STAN               Sabrina Schwab, UTAH
Feb. 9       Sadiqua Bynum, UCLA          Angi Cipra, UCLA                 Madison Preston, UCLA