Shreveport – The Centenary gymnastics program has had an award-filled postseason and today we recap all of the individual honors the Ladies have received from both the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association, USA Gymnastics, and the Midwest Independent Conference (MIC).
Seniors Cami Bea Austin and Dorothy Mims, and sophomore Kendall Sanders were named to the 2020 Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association DIII regular season All-America Team. Austin was named All-America on the vault and Second Team All-America on the floor. Mims earned Second Team All-America honors on the beam, and Sanders was named All-America in the All Around. Austin placed first in the vault in the DIII East Division with a Seasonal Average Score (SAS) of 9.738 and second on the floor with an SAS of 9.818. Mims placed second on the beam with an SAS of 9.775 while Sanders placed first in the All Around with an SAS of 38.28. WCGA all-America awards are DIII regular season All-America awards.
Several Ladies were honored with Midwest Independent Conference postseason awards. Austin earned second team honors on both the floor and vault and was named Co-MIC Senior of the Year, an award which recognizes the most outstanding senior gymnast in their final season of competition.. Mims was selected as the MIC Woman of the Year in a blind vote by an independent committee. Sierra Ponder was announced the Sylvia Keiter Memorial Award recipient, which honors one gymnast from the conference who best exemplifies character traits of former Centenary gymnast Sylvia Keiter, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2018. Twelve Ladies were named MIC Scholar Athletes: Austin, Knaps, Mims, Sanders, Jenny Jackson, Ponder, Kendall Huff, Rose Deshler, Leilani Johnson, Madison McCary, Kennedy Stephens, and Taylor Ann Wilson.
Austin and Sanders were also named 2020 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate Nationals All-Americans. Austin received first team honors on vault and floor and Sanders received second team honors in the all-around. Austin and Mims were both named to the USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Senior All-Star Team and Mims, Kendall Sanders and Kendall Knaps were named USA Gymnastics Scholar Athletes, for sophomores and up, earning a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA. Centenary took home seven All-America honors in all this past season.
Several Ladies were honored with Midwest Independent Conference postseason awards. Austin earned second team honors on both the floor and vault and was named Co-MIC Senior of the Year, an award which recognizes the most outstanding senior gymnast in their final season of competition. Mims was selected as the MIC Woman of the Year in a blind vote by an independent committee. Sierra Ponder was announced the Sylvia Keiter Memorial Award recipient, which honors one gymnast from the conference who best exemplifies character traits of former Centenary gymnast Sylvia Keiter, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2018. Twelve Ladies were named MIC Scholar Athletes: Austin, Knaps, Mims, Sanders, Jenny Jackson, Ponder, Kendall Huff, Rose Deshler, Leilani Johnson, Madison McCary, Kennedy Stephens, and Taylor Ann Wilson.
Head coach Jackie Fain was named the Regional Coach of the Year by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association. Fain, who just completed her ninth season with the Maroon and White, earned the honor following a vote by her fellow head coaches. The award is the second major honor Fain has garnered in her tenure with the Ladies as she was named the 2013 Midwest Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year.
Centenary finished this past season ranked first in the nation in division III in the Road to Nationals rankings for the second year in a row and Finished the season ranked No. 1 on vault and beam and No. 2 on bars and floor in all of division III. The Ladies had individual athletes finished ranked No. 1 on vault, floor and all-around, second on beam and third, fourth and fifth on bars in division III and were on pace to have the highest season average since 2013. Fain has mentored 13 different athletes to 31 All-American accolades by the USGA, 16 all-conference recognitions, two USAG National Meet team appearances in her time at Centenary.
#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity
