Gymnastics Celebrates 2005 Season with Year-End Banquet
5/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
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The Alabama Gymnastics team celebrated the fruits of a season that culminated in a runner-up finish at the recent NCAA Championships at its annual awards banquet Saturday night.
The banquet, hosted by the Crimson Tide’s booster organization, The Medalist Club, was held in the Bryant Conference Center.
The Crimson Tide honored 2005 co-captain Ashley Miles as its MVP. The junior earned four All-American honors and posted a third place all-around finish at the NCAA Championships. The San Antonio, Texas native became the first gymnast in NCAA history to score two 10.0s during the Super Six team finals, leading the Tide from the back of the pack during the middle at the NCAA Championships, to a second place finish. Miles, a four-time SEC Gymnast of the Week, won three individual SEC titles, including her third consecutive floor title, as well as four NCAA Central Regional Titles, including her third consecutive vault and floor exercise titles.
Rookie Terin Humphrey, fresh from the 2004 Olympic Games where she earned two silver medals, was named the Tide’s Most Valuable Freshman. The Bates City, Mo. native, who joined the Alabama for the Spring semester, won the SEC, NCAA Central Regional and NCAA Uneven Bars Championships as well as earning four All-American honors.
Senior co-captain Shannon Hrozek earned the third All-American balance beam honor of her career while senior Michelle Reeser earned the first All-American nod of her career as well as being named the SEC Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Junior Dana Filetti earned All-American honors on the uneven bars while junior Dana Pierce was named to the SEC Good Works Team.
The 2005 squad voted to award Alabama assistant head coach David Patterson, who battled severe back problems throughout the season, was honored with the Lewis Each Courage Award, given to the member of the Alabama gymnastics family that best emulates the example of Each, a former sports writer who covered the gymnastics team in the mid-90s before succumbing to cystic fibrosis. Patterson, who will undergo back surgery Monday to repair his back problems, was presented the award by Each’s parents, Jean and Winston.
The David Dutton Award, awarded to the person or persons who go above and beyond the call of duty for Alabama Gymnastics was awarded to Shirley and John Cook, David Pattersons’ mother and step-father. The Cooks were honored for their ongoing stalwart support, which included to traveling to every Alabama competition, home and away, this season.
Alabama also celebrated its Southeastern Conference and school attendance record of 10,570 fans per meet in 2005, bettering the 10,301 mark set in 1997. It marks the second year in a row that the Tide has averaged over 10,000 fans per meet and third time in Alabama history.
Outgoing Medalist Club president Russell Moore was also recognized for his exemplary work with the organization over the years and incoming president Pat Huet was presented.
