May 27, 2011
CHICAGO -The UIC women's gymnastics team celebrated its 2010-11 campaign at the postseason banquet, handing out awards for the Most Valuable and Most Improved Gymnasts, along with the selected honorees for the Lizette Labuschagne Award and the Rock Beam Award.
Andrea Skala and Cynthia Lemieux-Guillemette shared the Most Valuable Gymnast Award. Both gymnasts were among those selected for postseason NCAA Regional action. Skala competed in the All-Around, while Lemieux was chosen as an alternate on the uneven bars. The duo was also UIC's most consistent performers in the All-Around competition throughout the season.
Chantel Turk and Erin Duggan shared the Most Improved Gymnast Award. Turk was also chosen for the NCAA Regional as an alternate performer in the vault - she was the Flames' most reliable event-specialist this season, recording a 9.75 or higher in 10 of her 12 meets. Duggan recorded at least a 9.5 in the uneven bars and/or balance beam in 15 individual meets last season.
UIC's team captains, Rachel Montoya and Skala, were also both honored. Emily Fiorilli was presented the Lizette Labuschagne Award, which is a scholarship that Zandre Labuschagne (who was in attendance) and her uncle, Daniel Legrange, established in the memory of Zandre's mom and Daniel's sister, Lizette.
Catherine Dion received the Rock Award, which is presented to a gymnast when extraordinary consistency has been achieved. Dion did not miss a single routine in a competition last season - the award has only been presented to a UIC gymnast twice before this season.
The Flames' Scholastic All-Americans, Danielle Reusnow, Allison Pipp, Christine Girard, Sarah Murray, Dion, Montoya, Emily Lawrence, Jamie Krause and Lemieux-Guillemette, were all honored.
UIC finished the 2010-11 season with a third-place finish in the MIC Championships. Individually, Lemieux-Guilemette picked up Newcomer of the Year laurels, while Turk and Dion were both named first-team all-conference. Members of the MIC second team included Skala and Murray.
