KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Coming off a historic season which saw the Western Michigan Gymnastics team reach an NCAA Regional for the first time in the modern era, head coach
Penny Jernigan has named the program's annual team award winners.
Payton Murphy has been named the team's Gymnast of the Year, while
Sarah Moravansky has been selected Newcomer of the Year. Moravansky is the team's MVP on vault and uneven bars, while Murphy is the beam MVP and shared floor exercise MVP honors with
Ronni Binstock. In addition, 10 Broncos are sharing Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors after posting 4.0 grade-point averages.
Murphy recorded 98.125 points on the beam and 98.250 points on floor exercise this year while also earning MAC Gymnast of the Year and first team All-MAC honors. The season saw Murphy set a school record for all-around score (39.375) while tying a 17-year-old school record on beam (9.950). Binstock tied Murphy on the floor and earned All-Tournament honors at the MAC Championships in March.
Moravansky took home the all-around title at the MAC Championships and was named MAC Freshman of the Year. She boasted the top all-around national qualifying score by a freshman in the league this year and twice won all-around competitions. Moravansky boasted the team's top score of the season on bars (9.875), as well as the team's second-best top score on vault (9.850).
In addition to success in the gym, the program saw 10 student-athletes post a 4.0 grade-point average during at least one semester, while six Broncos recorded a 4.0 GPA during both the fall and spring semesters.
Tess Abbott,
Amanda Gruber,
Arianna Mamelka, Murphy,
Breckin Quoss,
Sarah Shirley and
Josephine Thomas each recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA during both semesters of the 2020-21 school year. Binstock,
Carissa Ludwig and Moravansky posted a 4.0 GPA during the fall semester. All 10 share the team's Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
As a team, the Broncos reached an NCAA Regional for the first time in the modern era (the program qualified for an NCAA Regional in 1981 when both the NCAA and AIAW held competing championships). The Broncos twice eclipsed a 196 team score, including in a victory at Kent State which gave Western its first road win over the Golden Flashes since 1991.