March 1, 2011

UCLA junior Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs (Toronto, ON) was named the Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week for the week of Feb. 21-27.

Hopfner-Hibbs won the all-around along with three other events to lead UCLA to a first-place finish in a tri-meet against No. 21 Minnesota and No. 12 Denver. Hopfner-Hibbs' all-around win was her second of the year, and her wins on beam (9.875) and floor (9.925) were her second consecutive and third overall. Her vault score of 9.875 set a new season-high and gave Hopfner-Hibbs her first vault victory of the year. On bars, her score of 9.825 helped the Bruins record a season-high of 49.325. Hopfner-Hibbs is the only gymnast in the Pac-10 to score 39.5 or better in the all-around this year, and she has now done it twice. Only six other gymnasts in the nation have scored 39.5 or better twice this year.

This is Hopfner-Hibbs's sixth career Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week honor and 32nd in UCLA history. She now shares the Pac-10 record for most career Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week honors with Carly Janiga of Stanford.

Also receiving weekly honors was Arizona's Katie Matusik, who earned Pac-10 Special Performance of the Week honors with her 9.925 beam performance at BYU.

ALSO NOMINATED:
Gymnast of the Week: Aliza Vaccher, WASH; Danielle Ikoma, STAN; Molly Quirk, ARIZ; Leslie Mak, OSU.
Special Performance of the Week: Britney Ranzy, OSU; Samantha Peszek, UCLA; Kristen Linton, WASH; Ashley Morgan, STAN.

2011 Pac-10 Gymnasts of the Week: Jan. 12 - Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, UCLA; Jan. 18 - Leslie Mak, OSU; Jan. 25 - Shelley Alexander, STAN; Feb. 1 - Allyse Ishino, STAN; Feb. 8 - Aubree Cristello, ARIZ; Feb. 15 - Deanna Graham, ARIZ; Feb. 22 - Ruby Engreitz, WASH; Mar. 01 - Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, UCLA.

2011 Pac-10 Special Performance of the Week: Jan. 12 - Olivia Vivian, OSU; Jan. 18 - Olivia Vivian, OSU; Jan. 25 - Ashley Morgan, STAN; Feb. 1 - Miranda Russell, ARIZ; Feb. 8 - Nicole Pechanec, STAN; Feb. 15 - Samantha Peszek, UCLA; Feb. 22 - Tauny Frattone, UCLA; Mar. 01 - Katie Matusik, ARIZ.