Gymnastics Wraps Up Season with Banquet
For the second year in a row, was awarded the Joy Selig Award, an award that annually goes to the gymnast who most distinguishes herself both academically and athletically and exemplifies courage and leadership, both on and off the competition floor. Lamb, a senior from Knoxville, Tenn., achieved dual honors this season earning first All-America status on the vault as well as being recognized as a Pac-10 All-Academic first team honoree while studying Business Administration.
Junior , from Eugene, earned Most Valuable Gymnast honors for the Beavers for the third consecutive year. Lanz has now competed in every event of every meet of her collegiate career encompassing 42 meets and 168 routines without missing a beat. Over the course of the 2008 season, Lanz “hit” 53 out of 56 routines including the last 36 in a row. Lanz earned earned Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week honors in January and posted scores of 9.9 or higher 13 times. She earned 18 individual titles in 2008 finding her most success on the balance beam the event eight times. Lanz shined brightest last in the season posting scores of 9.95 on beam in three straight meets earning the titles of Pac-10 Beam Champion and NCAA West Regional Beam Champion.
, a junior from Lake Oswego, was recognized as the team’s Outstanding Scholar Award. Piro, who has a double-major in Exercise and Sport Science and Business Administration and studies in OSU’s Honors College, was nominated as OSU’s NASPE (National Association for Sport and Physical Education) Outstanding Major of the Year recipient by the faculty in OSU’s Nutrition and Exercise Science department and was chosen as the representative from OSU’s College of Health and Human Science. Piro is also heavily involved in Oregon State’s SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) and is also on OSU’s Student Senate. She was instrumental in helping Oregon State’s Department of Athletics convince her peers to raise student fees for Athletics in the future. In addition, Piro performed an internship in the athletic department serving as the coordinator for OSU’s Title IX Celebration last fall.
, a freshman from Kenmore, Wash., received OSU’s Newcomer of the Year award. Kesler who performed in the anchor position on the uneven bars the entire season, earned second team All-American honors on the event. She set season-high scores of 9.95 on bars, 9.925 on beam, 9.825 on floor, 9.775 on vault and 39.350 in the all-around. Kesler cracked the vault lineup for the first time in the final regular season meet of the year and maintained her new-found all-around status at the Pac-10 Championships and NCAA Championships. She set her personal-high on bars (9.95) at the NCAA West Regional Championships where she won the event title.
Lamb also received the team’s Most Inspirational Award, an award voted on by her teammates. This is the third straight year that Lamb, who also received the award in 2006 and 2007, has been recognized by her teammates. Lamb, a two-year team captain, fought through a variety of injuries each season of her career before finally earning first team, All-American honors in 2008. Lamb competed in every meet this season, for the only time in her career, despite being limited to vault and beam throughout most of the season.
Oregon State coaches, staff and boosters concluded the festivitieis by saying good-bye to five seniors who have competed or coached their final meets at OSU. The seniors are: , , , and .
