Mikulak Voted 2011 Season MVP at Team Banquet
5/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
May 13, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Greeted by a sunny day, the 2011 University of Michigan men's gymnastics team gathered on Friday (May 13) for the traditional end-of-season picnic awards banquet in Burns Park. Head coach Kurt Golder addressed the team, giving his final remarks to close off the 2011 season and pass out team awards.
The coaching staff chooses recipients for various award categories, while the players vote for the season's Most Valuable Player. In a unanimous vote, freshman Sam Mikulak (Corona del Mar, Calif./Corona del Mar) was named the 2011 men's gymnastics Most Valuable Player; this is the first time in Golder's tenure at Michigan where a single gymnast has received 100 percent of the vote.
Mikulak arrived at Michigan this year coming in as the top recruit out of the Junior Olympic program. After struggling with some nagging injuries throughout the regular season, he brought it together and proved his ability in the postseason by first winning the Big Ten all-around title, the first time a freshman has won since 1994. He was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year for his accomplishment. He continued his momentum at NCAA Championships, becoming the NCAA all-around champion; Mikulak is believed to be the first freshman to ever accomplish this. By the end of the Championships weekend, he racked up four All-America honors (all-around, floor, vault, parallel bars).
Also receiving notable awards were senior Ian Makowske (Redding, Conn./Joel Barlow), Outstanding Accomplishment, for placing runner-up on high bar at NCAAs for the second consecutive year; junior Syque Caesar (Port Saint Lucie, Fla./Lincoln Park Academy), Most Improved, for coming back from two major knee surgeries to win parallel bars at the Big Ten Championships; freshman Alex Bubnov (Fanwood, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood), Most Consistent, for hitting 100 percent of his routines on the pommel horse this season; and senior duo Devan Cote Hollis, N.H./Hollis-Brookline) and Ben Baldus-Strauss (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South), Best Comeback, for coming back from mid-season injuries to make an impact for the team in the postseason.
The Wolverines move into offseason training mode for the summer, where they will work to learn new skills and improve difficulty. Several members will also be competing on the national stage this summer, first at the National Qualifier on July 9 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Those who qualify will then compete at the Visa Championships, to be held August 17-20 in Saint Paul, Minn., where they will compete to earn a spot on the Senior National Team.
2011 Men's Gymnastics Team Awards
Most Valuable Player: Sam Mikulak
Outstanding Accomplishment: Ian Makowske
Most Improved: Syque Caesar
Best Championship Competitor: Sam Mikulak, Ian Makowske
Most Consistent: Alex Bubnov
Best Comeback: Ben Baldus-Strauss, Devan Cote
Best Work Ethic: Ian Makowske
Best Leadoff Man: Alex Bubnov
Most Productive (2010) Summer: Rohan Sebastian
Most Improved Strength: Alex Bubnov, Rohan Sebastian
Coaches Appreciation: Matt Freeman, Devan Cote
Players Mentioned
