Women's Gymnastics | April 24, 2017

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan gymnastics team celebrated the 2017 season at its end of year banquet on Friday night. Below are the highlights of the season and the awards earned for the student-athletes' performances this year.
 
2017 Team Highlights
• Twelve team school records & 17 individual school records. Six of the top ten team scores in program history came this season.
• Highest team score in program history at a MAC Championships 196.075 and the second highest team score in program history
• Set the highest team bars score at a MAC Championships on March 18th, 49.10
• Tied the highest beam score in program history, 49.175 at the MAC Championships March 18th • Two MAC individual event champions
• Finished with the highest team RQS in program history 195.405
• Most ever Academic All-MAC selections, 9
• Most ever MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete selections, 5
 
2017 Season Letter Winners Recognition
Competed in a minimum of 50% of all competitions this season.
Anna Corbett 4th
Audry Merritt 4th
Jessie Peszek 4th
Kelsey Hood 3rd
Jessi Juncaj 3rd
Brittany Aragon 2nd
Rachel Binkley 2nd
Katie Jennings 2nd
Rachael Underwood 2nd
Taylor Buis 1st
Lauren Vandenberg 1st
 
MAC Weekly Awards
The MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week award is presented to a MAC male and/or female student-athlete who has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and performs well during that week's competition. The winners are selected by a representative of the MAC's Faculty Athletics Representatives.
 
Senior Jessie Peszek received the honor the week of February 23rd following an outstanding performance at Texas Women's University
 
Each MAC school nominates a student-athlete for MAC Gymnast of the Week. On March 14th after leading the team to a 195.450 win over SEMO on senior day, Anna Corbett won the honor.
 
All-MAC Selections
Regular season All-MAC team selections are based on a gymnast's RQS the week prior to the championship. The top ranked student-athlete in the conference on each event and in the all-around are named to the first team. The runner up on each event and the all-around are named to the second team.
 
• All-MAC 2nd team - Anna Corbett AA
• All-MAC 2nd team - Rachael Underwood AA
 
All-MAC Academic Team Selections.
Sophomores, juniors and seniors who have a minimum 3.20 GPA and competed in at least 50 percent of the meets.
 
Nine MAC All-Academic selections, most in program history - 7 (2016), 6 (2015), 4 (2014)
• Brittany Aragon, 3.69 Interdisciplinary Health Services
• Rachel Binkley, 3.66 Pre-Dietics
• Anna Corbett, 3.88 Nursing
• Kelsey Hood, 3.47 Computer Information Systems
• Katie Jennings, 3.64 Biomedica
• Jessi Juncaj, 3.49 Integrated Supply Management
• Audry Merritt, 3.73 University Curriculum
• Jessie Peszek, 3.79 Biomedical Sciences
• Rachael Underwood, 4.0 Pre-Occupational Therapy
 
MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes.
From the Academic All-MAC Teams, the faculty athletic representatives selected the 'best of the best' of the Academic All-MAC Teams to be honored with Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award for the 2016-17 season. This year we had a remarkable five student-athletes earn the honor.
 
• Brittany Aragon
• Anna Corbett
• Jessi Juncaj
• Jessie Peszek
• Rachael Underwood
 
Vault MVP - Anna Corbett
• Won six regular season vault titles, scoring a 9.8 or better each time
• Tied the all-time school record with a 9.925 on March 18th at the MAC championships
• 2017 MAC Vault champion
 
Uneven Bars MVP - Jessie Peszek
• Scored a 9.80 or better nine times this season
• Won two regular season uneven bars titles
• Tied the all-time school record on bars with a 9.925 on February 19th at Texas Woman's
• 2017 MAC Uneven Bars Co-champion
• Tied the highest RQS in program history 9.870
• Central Region number one individual seed on uneven bars
 
Balance Beam MVP - Jessie Peszek
• Scored a 9.825 or better in eight meets this season
• Won three regular season balance beam titles
• Scored a 9.90 twice this season, February 19th at TWU and on March 18th at MACs
• Tied the highest balance beam RQS in program history 9.865 and qualified into the NCAA regional championships in Champaign, Ill. as the number one individual seed
 
Floor Exercise MVP - Rachael Underwood
• Scored a 9.825 or better in nine consecutive meets this season
• Won six regular season floor titles
• Posted a 9.865 regional qualifying score
 
WMU Scholar-Athletes of the Year
• Kira Hoy, 4.0 Public Relations
• Lauren Vandenberg, 4.0 Interdisciplinary Health Services
• Rachael Underwood, 4.0 Pre-Occupational Therapy
 
WMU Freshman of the Year - Taylor Buis
• Competed in 10 consecutive meets this season
• Set a personal record on vault with a 9.80 on March 5th
• Set personal bests of a 9.775 on bars January 29 and matched it at the MAC Championships on March 18th, also set a PR 9.775 on beam March 11th
• 3.7 GPA in Sports Management WMU
 
Specialist of the Year - Katie Jennings
Awarded to the most-outstanding specialist. A specialist is a gymnast who competes in one or two events.
• Competed vault and floor in all twelve regular season meets this season
• Scored a 9.825 or better on floor in four meets this season
• Set a PR of 9.85 on floor on at Bowling Green on February 5th and tied it two more times on March 5th and at the MAC Championships March 18th
 
WMU Gymnast of the Year - Rachael Underwood
Selected by the coaching staff. Awarded to the most-outstanding gymnast of the year.
• Competed AA in all twelve regular season meets this season
• Posted the third highest AA RQS in the MAC and also the third highest in WMU program history 39.08
• Broke the school record in the AA with a 39.325 at the MAC Championships
• Finished seventh AA at the NCAA regional championships in Champaign, Ill. and placed second alternate to the NCAA national championships
 
WMU Senior of the Year - Lauren Vandenberg
• This senior is the glue that has bonded the team together. She was a true inspiration to all. She has loved and challenged the team to continue to grow and become better people in and out of the gym.