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Pac-12 announces gymnastics weekly honors

Feb 25, 2014

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - The Pac-12 Conference office announced today the Pac-12 women’s gymnastics weekly honors for the week of Feb. 17 - Feb. 23. STANFORD's Kristina Vaculik was named the Gymnast of the Week, UCLA’s Samantha Peszek was voted Specialist of the Week, and Stanford's Nicolette McNair was selected as the Freshman/Newcomer of the Week.

Redshirt junior Kristina Vaculik claimed the individual victory in the all-around title to help lead the Cardinal in an upset over No. 4 Utah, 197.000-196.300. The Whitby, Ont., native delivered her collegiate best 9.950 in the anchor position on floor to secure the victory. She also contributed in the other three events, scoring 9.850 on vault, bars and beam. In a separate meet against UCLA, Vaculik was able to post a 9.825 on bars to tie for the individual victory and scored 9.90 on vault to tie for third.

Peszek, a senior from Indianapolis, Ind., won all three events in which she competed to help the Bruins to a 196.900-196.250 victory over Stanford. She was able to capture first on beam with a career-high tying 9.95 and tying for top marks on vault (season high 9.925) and uneven bars (9.825). Peszek has been limited this season due to a stress reaction in her foot, being held out of two meets and performing primarily on bars and beam. Her tie for the title in vault helped UCLA achieve a team season-high of 49.4 on the event. 

Stanford freshman Nicolette McNair recorded five top-five finishes in six events this week against No. 4 Utah and No. 9 UCLA. McNair put together a great meet against Utah, tying for the individual victory on beam with 9.850. McNair placed fourth on vault with a scoring 9.850 and tied her collegiate-best on bars to place fifth with  9.875. She continued her successful week at UCLA scoring 9.80 or higher in three events. She placed fifth on vault (9.875) and bars (9.80), and sixth on beam (9.850).

This is Stanford’s second Gymnast of the Week honor for the 2014 season with both honors going to Kristina Vaculik. Samantha Peszek has also accounted for the two Specialist of the Week honors that UCLA has earned in the 2014 season. This is Nicolette McNair’s first Gymnast of the Week honor and Stanford’s second of the year.

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. 5 Utah host Washington in Salt Lake City this Friday Feb. 28 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: Allie Flores, ARIZ; Risa Perez, ASU; Alicia Austurias, CAL; Cerise Witherby, OSU; Sydney Sawa, UCLA; Georgia Dabritz, UTAH; Aliza Vaccher, WASH.
Special Performance of the Week: Carissa Kraus, ASU; Serena Leong, CAL; Hannah Casey, OSU; Rache Daum, STAN; Kailah Delaney, UTAH; Jackie McCartin, WASH.
Freshman/Newcomer of the Week: Jessica Howe, CAL; Madeline Gardiner, OSU; Hallie Mossett, UCLA; Baely Rowe, WASH; Janae Janik; WASH.

2014 Pac-12 Women’s Gymnastics Weekly Award Winners

                 Gymnast                               Specialist            Freshman/Newcomer
Jan. 7    Alicia Asturias, CAL        Amanda Spinner, STAN        Charlie Owens, CAL
Jan. 14    Olivia Courtney, UCLA        Georgia Dabritz, UTAH        Angi Cipra, UCLA
Jan. 21    Kristina Vaculik, STAN        Georgia Dabritz, UTAH        Rachel Daum, STAN
Jan. 28    Chelsea Tang, OSU        Georgia Dabritz, UTAH        Charlie Owens, CAL
Feb. 4    Tory Wilson, UTAH        Georgia Dabritz, UTAH        Hallie Mossett, UCLA
Feb. 11    Tory Wilson, UTAH        Samantha Peszek, UCLA        Hallie Mossett, UCLA
Feb. 18    Sydney Sawa, UCLA        Madeline Gardiner, OSU        Jessica Howe, CAL
Feb. 25    Kristina Vaculik, STAN        Samantha Peszek, UCLA        Nicolette McNair, STAN