Luisa Blanco Named 2024 AAI Award Finalist
3/15/2024 11:04:00 AM | Gymnastics
The Crimson Tide super senior was previously named a finalist for the award in 2023, which honors the most outstanding senior female gymnast in the country
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama gymnastics super senior Luisa Blanco has been named one of six finalists for the 2024 AAI Award, as announced by the organization Friday.
The AAI Award, presented by American Athletic, Inc., is given annually to the nation's top senior female gymnast and is widely considered to be the Heisman Trophy of gymnastics. Blanco is joined by Haleigh Bryant of LSU, Audrey Davis of Oklahoma, Maile O'Keefe of Utah, Gabby Wilson of Michigan and Raena Worley of Kentucky as 2024 finalists.
The Crimson Tide has had a gymnast selected as a finalist the last three consecutive years, with Lexi Graber also earning the recognition in 2022 before Blanco's back-to-back nods. Since the award's introduction in 1982, three Alabama gymnasts have won the prestigious honors: Barbara Mack (1985), Penney Hauschild (1986) and Andree Pickens (2002).
Blanco has solidified herself as one of the most decorated gymnasts in Alabama history as a 16-time All-American, an NCAA champion, a four-time Southeastern Conference champion, a 2021 Honda Award for Gymnastics finalist and the 2021 SEC Gymnast of the Year. The Paris Olympics qualifier has also earned over 60 individual event titles and six total perfect 10.0s – four coming on balance beam alone – during her time at UA.
The recipient of the AAI Award will be announced in April during the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.
Luisa Blanco | 2024 AAI Award Finalist
- First-Team Championship All-American
- 2023 – Uneven Bars
- 2022 – Vault, Balance Beam
- 2021 – All-Around, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, Floor Exercise
- First-Team Regular Season All-American
- 2023- All-Around, Balance Beam, Floor Exercise
- 2022 – Uneven Bars, Balance Beam
- 2021 – All-Around, Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam Â
- NCAA champion – Balance Beam (2021)
- 2023 AAI Award finalist
- 2021 Honda Award for Gymnastics finalist
- 2021 SEC Gymnast of the Year
- 2021 WCGA Region 1 Gymnast of the Year
- Three-time All-SEC Team member (2021, 2022, 2023)
- Four-time Scholastic All-American (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
- Three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll (2021, 2022, 2023)
- 2021 SEC champion – All-Around, Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam
- 2021 NCAA Regional champion – All-Around, Vault, Balance Beam, Floor Exercise
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