April 30, 2007
Champaign, Ill. - University of Illinois gymnast Cara Pomeroy (Ottawa, Ontario) was presented as one of six finalists for the American Award over the weekend at the NCAA Championship Awards Banquet in Salt Lake City, Utah. The award, presented annually by American Athletic, Inc., honors the senior female gymnast who has best demonstrated her competitive, leadership, academic and community skills throughout her collegiate career. Eight-time All-American Janet Anson of Iowa State was named the 2007 American Award winner at the banquet on Saturday, April 28.
"This is the first time in my coaching career that I have had an athlete named as finalist for this award, so this is a special recognition for Cara," said Fighting Illini head coach Bob Starkell. "Her hard work and dedication to this program have made her visible to the coaching community and the NCAA. Cara has made great contributions the University of Illinois gymnastics program, her work ethic and personality will be missed next year."
Pomeroy will go down in the books as one of the best gymnasts in Illinois history. She closed out her career by winning the 2007 Big Ten Uneven Bars title with a 9.950 and racked up 41 career event titles. She is the only Illini gymnast to ever record a perfect 10.0 (2004 South Central Regional on bars), and is the first Illini ever to earn All-Big Ten status in each of her four seasons. She served as team captain in each of the past two seasons, and also excels in the classroom, earning All-America Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten status in each of the last three years.
Joining Pomeroy and Anson as finalists for the award were Lindsey Bruck of Michigan, Nicolle Ford of Utah, Brittney Koncak-Schumann of Oklahoma, and Ashley Kupets of Georgia.
