Spartan Gymnastics Celebrates 2020 Season with Virtual Awards Banquet

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State gymnastics celebrated the 2020 gymnastics season in a virtual awards banquet on Sunday, May 3.

MSU head coach Mike Rowe and his staff presented the team awards, MSU Athletics Director Bill Beekman, Coach Rowe and the team's lone senior, Gabriella Douglas, all spoke to everyone, and the season highlight video was shown.

Below are the list of the awards and the recipients.

SPIRIT AWARD: Alaina Raybon
Alaina Raybon competed on bars, beam and floor for the Spartans this season. After her exhibition routine on uneven bars went viral (gaining more than four million views) on social media earlier in the season, Raybon became a staple in the bars lineup and reached a career-high of 9.900. Raybon can always be seen cheering on her teammates on the sidelines and offering pep talks.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Gabriella Douglas
Ella Douglas was also named the winner of the Gwendolyn Norrell Community Service and Leadership Award. The award is presented to the student-athlete who has demonstrated the highest level of commitment to impacting the areas of leadership and community service.

UNSUNG HERO: Maddie McHale
Maddie McHale was consistent on bars and beam, accumulating career-highs of 9.800 on both apparatuses this season, while also contributing with her leadership off the floor.

KATHRYN MAHONEY "HEART OF A SPARTAN" AWARD: Ashley Beatty
Although not being able to compete this season, Ashley Beatty continues to show passion, perseverance, relentless drive and determination throughout the most difficult times of adversity."

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD: Lea Mitchell
Lea Mitchell was awarded the Student-Athlete Award for the highest cumulative GPA on the team. Mitchell will graduate with a degree in Journalism with minors in Dance and Spanish and will begin her graduate degree in Journalism.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Nyah Smith
Nyah Smith competed in the all-around during her freshman season, recording career-highs of 9.875 on vault, 9.850 on beam and floor exercise and 9.775 on bars. Smith earned her first all-around title against Eastern Michigan on March 7 with a mark of 39.150.

SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR: Gabriella Douglas
Douglas registered five beam titles during the 2020 season, becoming a fixture in the beam lineup in the anchor position. Douglas recorded nine marks of 9.800 or higher, with four routines scoring 9.900 or higher, including a career-high mark of 9.950 on Jan. 11. Douglas became the first Spartan to capture a 9.950 on beam since Kelsey Morley did it twice in 2009. In addition, Douglas tied her career-high of 9.925 on floor exercise twice with two individual titles on the event.

MOST IMPROVED AWARD: Alyssa Wiedeman
Alyssa Wiedeman competed in the leadoff position on vault and beam. Wiedeman garnered career-highs of 9.750 on vault and 9.825 on beam.

COACHES AWARD: Beam Team
The Spartan beam team reached new heights during the 2020 season as the group registered five scores of 49.000 or higher. On Jan. 11 in a tri-meet with Central Michigan and Illinois State, the beam team captured its eighth-best team beam score in program history with a cumulative score of 49.200, which was the best score since 2008.

HEART OF A SPARTAN: Hadley Deines
Deines earns this honor for the second-straight year, as she continued her role of honorary captain, giving the team emotional boosts and cheering them on with her contagious smile and spirit.

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OUTSTANDING GYMNAST AWARD: Lea Mitchell
Lea Mitchell competed in the all-around competition in every meet during the 2020 season, earning seven all-around titles. Mitchell reached her career-high all-around score of 39.375 twice. In addition to her all-around titles, Mitchell earned five floor exercise individual titles and two uneven bars titles.

Team 2020 Highlights:

Michigan State ended the shortened season as No. 32 in the nation, with a team NQS score of 195.795.
MSU earned the No. 4 seed at the 2020 Big Ten Championships and would have competed in the evening session with No. 5 Michigan, No. 11 Minnesota and No. 19 Nebraska.
Junior Lea Mitchell won seven all-around titles during the season.
The Spartans eclipsed the 49.000 mark on floor eight times this season, led by tying its program-best floor score of 49.475 on Jan. 26 against Nebraska, which was last reached at the 2017 Big Ten Championships.
Michigan State's five marks of 49.000 or higher on beam this season is the most since 2008 when the team had four.
MSU reached its season-best team road score at the Big Five - Elevate the Stage meet, tallying a 195.975.
The Spartans' season-best team score of 196.550 on Jan. 26 in a dual with No. 16 Nebraska was the fifth-best score in program history.
The Spartans faced a strong competition field as seven 2020 opponents were ranked in the top-25 of the Road to Nationals poll. MSU's win over No. 23 Illinois on Feb. 16, 196.150-195.775, marked the Spartans' first win over a top-25 team this season. MSU finished one spot above No. 24 Maryland at the Big Five meet.
Michigan State had four B1G wins including wins over Ohio State, No. 23 Illinois, No. 24 Maryland and Rutgers.

Spartan Gymnastics Celebrates 2020 Season with Virtual Awards Banquet

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Players Mentioned

Ashley Beatty

Gabriella Douglas

Lea Mitchell

Alaina Raybon

Nyah Smith

Alyssa Wiedeman

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