Division I

Co-Gymnast of the Week
Megan Gilbert , Cornell University
Senior , St. Louis Park, Minn.

Scores from the week:
VT:  9.5 BB: 9.675 FX: 9.825

Gilbert had the best meet of her career in her last home meet for the Big Red, winning both beam and floor, and leading the team to a first ever regular season win over Rutgers University. Her score of 9.825 on floor puts her into the Cornell record book as the fifth highest performer ever on that event.  Her first place finish on beam helped the Red to a season high team score (47.85) on that event, and she also led Cornell to a season high and the second highest score ever on floor (48.725).

Jordan Brewer, University of Pennsylvania
Junior, Durham, N.C.

Scores from the week:
VT: 9.700 UB: 9.725 BB: 9.65 FX: 9.775 AA: 38.85

Brewer had an amazing meet this weekend for Penn.  For the first time this season as an all-arounder, she nailed all four events.  On vault, Brewer earned a 9.7 to tie her season high vault score.  On bars, she easily topped her career high score with a 9.725 and nearly flawless routine.  On beam, she confidently anchored our team and put up a 9.65 which is also her season high score.  Ending on floor, she posted a 9.775 which is her season high and career high score.  Penn hosted a challenging quad meet this weekend with #16 North Carolina State, Temple University and Towson University.

Rookie of the Week
Maddie Pearsall, Cornell University
Freshman, La Grange, Ill.

Scores from the week:
VT: 9.65 UB: 9.725 BB: 9.375 FX: 9.775 AA: 38.525

Pearsall scored a personal best of 9.725 on bars, and in the all around (38.525) to lead the Big Red to a victory over Rutgers and West Chester.  Her all around score was the third highest in school history. In addition, she won vaulting and showed amazing concentration as she hit a solid beam routine immediately following a long delay in the meet while the performer immediately before her was treated for an injury. Her 9.775 score on floor helped the team to a second best ever team floor score of 48.75.

Specialist of the Week
Emily Lenk, Cornell University
Sophomore, Munson Township, Ohio

Score from the week:
FX: 9.8

Lenk scored a personal best of 9.8 on the floor exercise to take second place behind teammate Megan Gilbert and lead the Big Red to a season high (and second best ever) team floor score of (48.75).  Cornell went on to their first ever regular season victory over Rutgers, 191.45 to 187.8.

Co-Coach's Choice
Stephanie Bevan, The College of William & Mary
Sophomore, Bridgewater, NJ

Scores from the week:
BB: 9.15 FX: 9.6

After missing almost the entire pre-season due to a bulging disc in her lower back, Bevan stepped up to the challenge presented to her this weekend.  With senior all-arounder Stevie Waldman out unexpectedly due to illness, Bevan stepped into the floor line-up and hit.  Competing floor for the first time this season, Bevan posted a 9.6, recording her career high and finishing in the top 3 for the Tribe.

Stephanie Ortiz, University of Pennsylvania
Senior, Silver Spring, Md.

Scores from the week:
UB:9.65 BB: 9.65 FX: 9.70

Ortiz had her best meet of the 2008 season this weekend for Penn in a home quad meet with #16 North Carolina State, Temple University and Towson University.  She earned a 9.65 on bars which is a new personal career high.  For a senior to be topping her best scores year after year says a lot with how far she has come as a collegiate gymnast.  On beam she earned a 9.65 which is a season high score for her.  On floor she earned a 9.7 for the second week in a row, tying her season high score.   Like many others on the Quakers team, Ortiz has been battling through a back injury the entire season.   Last week her floor routine was upgraded and she has now nailed the routine two weeks in a row, which has helped Penn improve each meet.

Division III

Gymnast of the Week
Julia Zimmerman, MIT
Senior, Chicago, Ill.

Zimmerman has a broken bone in her wrist.  The previous two meets she competed on floor and beam without putting her hand down, tumbling with just one hand.  For a Sunday, March 2 quad meet at Brockport, Julia was cleared to pain tolerance, and with no training as an all-around in three weeks, she finished second in the meet with a 38.025.  She competed a new vault that she has never done and broke the school record with a 9.675.  She also tied the school record on floor with a 9.775

Rookie of the Week
Kailee Spusta, Ithaca College
Freshman, Macedon, N.Y.

Spusta placed third for the Bombers in the floor exercise with a score of 9.800.  The Ithaca gymnastics team placed third out of four teams at Brockport Sunday, with Southern Connecticut and MIT.  Spusta score of 9.800 ties her for third place in Ithaca's floor record book.

Specialist of the Week
Amber French, Cortland
Senior, South Glens Falls, N.Y.

French continues an impressive senior season while visiting at host Penn State with Bowling Green and George Washington University.  French hit three-for-three routines and finished with a notable 9.625 on Vault and a 9.7 on Floor Exercise.