Heiskell, Brooks Share Co-MVP Honors at Annual Gymnastics Team Banquet

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's gymnastics team held its annual banquet Sunday (April 30) to celebrate the 2023 season, gathering to look back at a season in which the Wolverines won their 27th Big Ten Championship as well as a Big Ten regular-season title and broke multiple team and personal records.

Graduate student Abby Heiskell and senior Sierra Brooks were named the team's most valuable performers of the 2023 season, the fourth for Brooks and the second for Heiskell.

Brooks was the 2023 AAI Award winner and Michigan's female recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor, also earning her third Regional Gymnast of the Year honor and her second Big Ten Gymnast of the Year honor. The Planfield, Ill., native was the 13th Wolverine in program history to earn first team all-conference honors on four occasions and earned 15 event titles in 2023. She recoded two perfect 10s this season with one on vault and the other her first perfrct score on floor exercise, which earned her an NCAA regional crown. Brooks closed out the 2023 season with her seventh first-team All-America citation as she tied for fourth overall on the floor.

Heiskell closed out her stellar Michigan career with three All-America citations at this year's individual national championships and earned three Big Ten titles this season, including her second straight all-around title. She recorded two perfect 10s in 2023 with one on vault and her second on beam to earn her the Big Ten title, while also earning the fifth-highest all-around score in program history with a 39.800.

Graduate student Natalie Wojcik was the recipient of the Scholar Athlete Award and the Unsung Hero Award after finishing her illustrious career as a 21-time All-America honoree and 99 career event titles. The Douglassville, Pa., native was a five-time first team All-Big Ten honoree, the first in program history, had five perfect 10s and was the 2022 AAI Award Winner among numerous other accolades. This season, Wojcik won 10 event titles and recorded her second career perfect 10 on the balance beam, while being crowed the regional uneven bars champion for the second straight season and winning a share of the Big Ten uneven bars title.

Sophomore Jacey Vore also took home a pair of awards as she shared the Scholar Athlete Award with Wojcik and was voted as the Chip Hills Spirit Award winner by her teammates. Vore competed on the uneven bars two times this season, while always being one of the most vocal in cheering on her teammates.

Senior Gabby Wilson shared the Unsung Hero Award with Wojcik as Wilson earned the honor for the second straight season. Wilson competed in the all-around all season for the Maize and Blue and took home six event titles, including tying Heiskell for the fifth-highest all-around score in program history. The Ypsilanti, Mich., native became the 14th Wolverine to earn four first team All-Big Ten nods and was the Big Ten Individual Champion on the vault, also earning regular-season first team All-America honors on the vault.

Senior Nicoletta Koulos earned the Event Specialist Award for the second straight season after competing on uneven bars, beam and floor. She scored a career-best 9.950 on the beam at Nebraska to earn her first career title and scored a career-best 9.950 on the floor at Crisler Center against Minnesota. The Long Beach, Calif., native also topped a career-high on uneven bars with a 9.925 at the Big Five Meet and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors for her efforts in her final season.

For the second straight season, Naomi Morrison was given the Coaches Award after competing mostly on vault and floor for the Wolverines in 2023. Morrison earned first team All-America honors on the vault after finishing fifth nationally and earned her second first team All-Big Ten nod. The Chandler, Ariz., native was the 2023 regional vault champion and earned four other titles.

Junior Jenna Mulligan was named the Most Improved in the 2023 season as she stepped in and competed on the vault three times in the 2023 season while exhibitioning on other events. Mulligan posted a career-best 9.850 at Rutgers on the vault.

Freshman Kaylen Morgan was awarded the Newcomer of the Year Award as she closed out the season anchoring the vault lineup. Morgan competed on vault on six occasions and posted three 9.900s, taking home a victory at Nebraska.

2023 Award Recipients

Most Valuable Performer: Sierra Brooks, Abby Heiskell
Unsung Hero: Natalie Wojcik, Gabby Wilson
Coaches Award: Naomi Morrison
Most Improved: Jenna Mulligan
Specialist Award: Nicoletta Koulos
Newcomer of the Year: Kaylen Morgan
Scholar-Athlete Award: Jacey Vore, Natalie Wojcik
Chip Hills Spirit Award: Jacey Vore