CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini men's and women's gymnastics teams celebrated the 2015 season Sunday afternoon at their annual Awards Banquet.
C.J. Maestas was named the Illinois men's gymnastics MVP for the second year in a row, while Mary Jane Horthreceived the honor for the women. In addition, Giana O'Connor was named Most Outstanding Gymnast.
In his final year of competition with the Orange and Blue, Maestas brought home the NCAA National Championship on the high bar, while also etching his name into the record book a few more times. Maestas brought back four All-American accolades from Norman, Oklahoma, and also kept the Big Ten floor exercise title in the possession of an Illini gymnast.
Horth asserted herself among the top gymnasts in the Big Ten in her first season competing in the all-around, earning her first All-Big Ten accolade. Horth was an NCAA Championships individual qualifier and was also named NACGC/W First-Team All-American on bars and Second-Team All-American in the all-around.
O'Connor led the team with 16 individual titles this season. O'Connor turned in the best all-around score by an Illini in NCAA Championship history with a 39.425, securing her a First-Team All-America honor. The junior is the eighth NCAA All-American in Illini history and just the second Illini to earn NCAA First-Team All-American in the all-around. O'Connor was also a First-Team All-Big Ten selection.
Taking home the Hayasaki Most Consistent Gymnast honor for the second season in a row was sophomore Matt Foster. A common face on both floor and pommel horse, Foster also competed on the parallel bars for the Fighting Illini through much of the season. Foster set career bests on each event this season and earned a place on the second-team All-Big Ten list.
The Consistency Award went to Jordan Naleway capped off a stellar senior season averaging above a 9.75 on bars, beam and floor.
In his third season with Illinois, Joey Peters brought home both the Fighting Illini Spirit Award and the Most Improved honor. Peters competed in the all-around five times this season for the Illini. He put up a career-best score of 15.650 on rings at the Big Ten Event Finals in his home state of Pennsylvania this season. He also posted career-bests on floor, vault and in the all-around this season.
Most Improved on the women's side went to Heather Foley. Foley was an integral part to the lineup, competing on vault, bars and floor in every meet this season. The junior set career highs on vault and beam.
Peters also brought home The Stick Award, an honor which goes to the gymnast who tallied the most postseason stuck dismounts.
The 2015-16 team captain was also named at this year's banquet. Tom Gibbs will take the lead in his junior season with the Illinois squad.
This season, Illinois brought home eight more All-America accolades in addition to an NCAA National Champion on high bar, three Big Ten event champions and four All-Big Ten honorees.
2015 Men's Gymnastics Award Winners
MVP - C.J. Maestas
Hayasaki Most Consistent Gymnast - Matt Foster
Fighting Illini Spirit Award - Joey Peters
Most Improved - Joey Peters
The Stick Award (Most post seasons stuck dismounts) - Joey Peters
2015 - 2016 Captains- Tom Gibbs
2015 Women's Gymnastics Award Winners
MVP - Mary Jane Horth
Most Outstanding - Giana O'Connor
Consistency Award - Jordan Naleway
Most Improved - Heather Foley
