Brooks, Wojcik Share Team MVP Honors for National Championship Season
4/19/2021 10:53:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The 2021 national champion University of Michigan women's gymnastics team held its annual banquet following its national championship win Saturday night (April 17) in Fort Worth, Texas, surrounded by parents and loved ones.
The team gathered together at the hotel to celebrate a season that included numerous program records and ended in the Wolverines' first NCAA national championship.
Junior Natalie Wojcik and sophomore Sierra Brooks were awarded the team's most valuable performers, the third for Wojcik and second for Brooks.
Wojcik finished the 2021 season with six All-America nods (four regular-season, two postseason) and was the WCGA Regional Gymnast of the Year for the second time. The junior all-arounder was the Big Ten champion on the vault, scoring her second 10.0 on the apparatus, and was the regional champion on the uneven bars. Wojcik also earned her third first-team All-Big Ten nod and became an 11-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Week with two honors in the 2021 campaign. Wojcik won 15 event titles this season (5 uneven bars, 4 balance beam, 4 all-around, 1 vault, 1 floor exercise) and earned her third career 10.0 with a perfect score on the beam.
Brooks was also impressive in her sophomore season for the Maize and Blue, earning six All-America citations with two for the regular season and four during her standout performance at the NCAA Championships. The sophomore all-arounder was a regional champion on the beam and in the all-around while sharing the vault title with freshman Naomi Morrison. Brooks was named first team All-Big ten and earned 13 event titles in 2021 (6 vault, 4 all-around, 2 beam, 1 uneven bars).
Sophomore Gabby Wilson won two teams awards as she was the Unsung Hero and earned the Scholar-Athlete Award. Wilson anchored the floor lineup all season and was an all-arounder in 2021 after not competing on beam as a freshman. The sophomore earned four All-America honors at the NCAA Championships and was the Big Ten and regional champion on the floor while also earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Championship team. Wilson notched 11 event titles (8 floor, 1 all-around, 1 vault, 1 beam) and was a first team All-Big Ten honoree.
Junior Abby Heiskell burst onto the stage this season for the Maize and Blue and entered the all-around lineup for the first time at the regional meet to earn the Wolverines' Most Improved Award. Heiskell garnered four All-America nods this season (one regular-season, three postseason) and notched first team All-Big Ten honors. She was also named Big Ten Specialist of the Week for the first time in her career and was named to the Big Ten All-Championship team. The junior won three event titles (2 vault, 1 floor) and was clutch at the national championship as her final beam routine clinched the title for the Wolverines.
Morrison earned the Coaches Award after competing on the vault, uneven bars and floor this season for the Maize and Blue. The freshman was second team All-America on vault during both the regular seson and postseason and was a second team All-Big Ten honoree. She captured three vault titles this season, including becoming the co-regional vault champ with Brooks.
Sophomore Nicoletta Koulos earned the Event Specialist Award this season, competing on the floor in every meet while also competing in all but two meets on the uneven bars and having two appearances on the vault. Koulos was steady all season on the floor for the Maize and Blue and scored a 9.900 or better in the regional and national championship meets, including a career-best 9.9125 at the national championship.
Junior Abby Brenner earned the coveted Chip Hills Spirit Award for the second straight season after competing in five meets before suffering an injury. Brenner was a staple on the vault, uneven bars and floor before her injury on the floor at the Big Five Meet. The junior battled her way back and competed on the uneven bars at the national championship meet as her 9.9250 ignited the Wolverine spirit in the third rotation en route to a championship.
Freshman Carly Bauman received the Newcomer Award. Bauman was forced to sit out the first two meets due to injury but came back and found her place as the leadoff on the beam for Michigan while also competing on the floor and uneven bars in the second half of the season.
2021 Award Recipients
Most Valuable Performer: Sierra Brooks, Natalie Wojcik
Newcomer of the Year: Carly Bauman
Coaches Award: Naomi Morrison
Unsung Hero: Gabby Wilson
Most Improved: Abby Heiskell
Specialist Award: Nicoletta Koulos
Scholar-Athlete Award: Gabby Wilson
Albert "Chip" Freeman Hills Spirit Award: Abby Brenner
Players Mentioned
