UCLA gymnasts made a clean sweep of the Pac-12 weekly awards, with Sadiqua Bynum winning Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week, Angi Cipra winning Specialist of the Week, and Madison Preston earning Freshman/Newcomer of the Week honors. 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.
Bynum, a senior from Berkeley, Calif., earned Gymnast of the Week honors for the first time ever after leading the Bruins to an extremely close come-from-behind victory over 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. Bynum was the final competitor of the day and needed a 9.925 to tie the meet. She did one better, finishing with a 9.95 to tie her season-high and give the 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 with a 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.
Cipra, a junior from Mesa, Ariz., 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, getting a 10.0 from one of the two judges, to help the Bruins earn the 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 on the event. This is the second Pac-12 weekly honor of Cipra's career, as she was the Freshman/Newcomer of the Year in 2014.
Preston, who hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, 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-bests 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.
UCLA, which now has a conference-best 95 weekly honors all-time, returns to the floor to compete against Oregon State on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 8pm. Tickets are available at uclabruins.com/tickets.
Also Nominated:
Gymnast of the Week: Shelby Edwards, ARIZ; Toni-Ann Williams, CAL; Elizabeth Price, STAN; Samantha Partyka, UTAH; Joslyn Goings, WASH
Specialist 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 Gymnast of the Week
Jan. 12: Elizabeth Price, Stanford; Jan. 19: Elizabeth Price, Stanford; Jan. 26: Elizabeth Price, Stanford; Feb. 2: Toni-Ann Williams, California; Feb. 9: Sadiqua Bynum, UCLA.
2016 Pac-12 Specialist of the Week
Jan. 12: Hallie Mossett, UCLA; Jan. 19: Breanna Hughes, Utah; Jan. 26: Baely Rowe, Utah; Feb. 2: Ivana Hong, Stanford; Feb. 9: Angi Cipra, UCLA.
2016 Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Week
Jan. 12: Sabrina Schwab, Utah; Jan. 19: Katelyn Ohashi, UCLA; Jan. 29: Katelyn Ohashi, UCLA; Feb. 2: Sabrina Schwab, Utah; Feb. 9: Madison Preston, UCLA.