Botterman, Sexton Share Most Valuable Performer Award at Banquet
5/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
May 1, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan senior women's gymnasts Kylee Botterman (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central HS) and Jordan Sexton (Weddington, N.C./Weddington HS) shared the Most Valuable Performer Award at the team banquet held Sunday (May 1) at the Four Points Sheraton. The tandem also shared the Leadership Award as the Wolverines handed out eight individual awards.
The 2011 NCAA all-around champion, Botterman shared the Most Valuable Performer Award during each of her final three seasons. She earned All-America first team on the vault, balance beam and floor exercise at the NCAA Championships and was a nine-time All-American during her career. Botterman won the floor and all-around title at the NCAA Regional Championship held at Crisler Arena. She was the Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, the NCAA Northeast Region Gymnast of the Year and a finalist for the Honda Sports Award during the 2011 season. Botterman also won the AAI Award as the nation's top senior student-athlete in NCAA Division I women's gymnastics.
Jordan Sexton
In addition to sharing the top two team awards with Botterman, Sexton was the team captain the past two seasons. She finished her fifth year by tying for the uneven bars title at the NCAA Regional Championship. Sexton won the balance beam at the conference tournament and earned All-Big Ten first team. She was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Senior Sarah Curtis (Reno, Nev./Reno HS) collected a pair of individual awards, the Scholar Athlete Award and Unsung Hero Award. She was an All-Big Ten second team selection and earned All-America second team on the uneven bars and in the all-around. Curtis was Michigan's female recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor earlier this spring.
Freshman Joanna Sampson (Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Moreland HS) received the Newcomer Award. Sampson won the NCAA Regional title on vault with a 9.90 score and was the runner-up on floor exercise at the Big Ten Championships. She finished the year by competing on vault, beam and floor at NCAAs.
Seniors Kari Pearce (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) and Trish Wilson (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley HS) and freshman Teresa Arthur (Tulsa, Okla./Bishop Kelley HS) shared the Coaches Award. Wilson earned All-America first team on the uneven bars and was the team's Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship Award recipient. All three gymnasts earned U-M Athletic Academic Achievement, with Pearce and Wilson receiving Academic All-Big Ten accolades.
Freshman Shelby Gies (Pennington, N.J./Hopewell Valley Central HS) was the recipient of the Most Improved Award. She competed on uneven bars and beam at the NCAA Regional and National competitions, securing a season-best 9.800 on beam in the Super Six competition. Gies was a Big Ten Freshman of the Year finalist.
Freshman Reema Zakharia (Miami, Fla./Coral Gables Senior HS) captured the 10.0 Spirit Award. She competed primarily on floor exercise as a first-year performer, finishing as the runner-up at the NCAA Regional Championship. Zakharia scored a 9.850 in the NCAA Super Six and tallied 9.900 at the NCAA Regional and Big Ten Championship.
In addition, the program also announced the recipients of the Donald R. Shepherd scholarships. Sophomore Katie Zurales (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South HS) was named recipient of the Donald R. Shepherd Scholarship for Women's Gymnastics and sophomore Natalie Beilstein (Butler, Pa./Knoch HS) will receive the Donald R. Shepherd Women's Gymnastics Spirit Scholarship.
Following are the 2010-11 women's gymnastics award recipients:
Most Valuable Performer Award: Kylee Botterman, Jordan Sexton
Leadership Award: Kylee Botterman, Jordan Sexton
Scholar Athlete Award: Sarah Curtis
Newcomer Award: Joanna Sampson
Unsung Hero Award: Sarah Curtis
Coaches Award: Kari Pearce, Trish Wilson, Teresa Arthur
Most Improved Award: Shelby Gies
10.0 Spirit Award: Reema Zakharia
Media Contact: David Ablauf (734) 763-4423
