Ryals, Ray Named Michigan's Most Valuable Performers
4/27/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
| | Ray | | Ryals |
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Ryals, the lone U-M gymnast to compete in every event this season, was also named the team's Most Improved Gymnast. Her breakout season included three perfect 10s on the floor exercise, eight all-around titles and the final five weeks of the season ranked as the No. 1 all-around gymnast in the nation (GymInfo rankings). She earned three consecutive Big Ten Conference Gymnast of the Week honors (Jan. 23, Jan. 30, Feb. 6), becoming the first Wolverine to accomplish that feat.
Senior Amy Kuczera (Bloomindale, Ill./Lake Park HS) was named the Wolverines' Most Courageous Gymnast for the second consecutive year. Kuczera has battled back problems her entire career but has remained a consistent performer in the uneven bars and balance beam lineups. She set a career high on the balance beam (9.875) at the UCLA Invitational (March 3) and then repeated the effort at the Big Ten Championships (March 23) to earn a spot on the all-conference team.
Freshman Kara Rosella (Ann Arbor, Mich./Greenhills HS) earned the Coaches' Award for 2002. Rosella, a walk-on balance beam specialist, earned a spot in the beam lineup on seven occasions, including the NCAA Northeast Region Championships where she entered the lineup after an injury to another gymnast and earned one of her best scores of the season (9.775).
Senior co-captain Jodie Rosenberg (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield HS) earned the 10.0 Club Spirit Award. Rosenberg, a walk-on floor exercise specialist, led the team both in and out of the gym. Her efforts in training led to her first 9.900 in any event when she reached the mark on the floor exercise against Denver and Washington (March 9) and helped her capture the first All-Big Ten honor of her career with an outstanding floor performance at the conference championships.
Outside the gym, Rosenberg organized a majority of the team's community service efforts, helping the squad to its second consecutive U-M Community Service Award, given annually to the team which does the most to give back to its fans and the community. One of her most notable efforts this season involved a trip to the Vetal Elementary School in metro Detroit where members of the team put on a demonstration for the entire fourth grade class and then spoke to the underprivileged students about working hard and taking advantage of opportunities provided by sports to reach goals.
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
