Eleven Receive Pac-12 All-Academic Accolades

SAN FRANCISCO – Seniors Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, Madeline Gardiner, Kaytianna McMillan and Taylor Ricci, junior Shireen Khamedoost and sophomore Mariana Colussi-Pelaez led 11 Oregon State gymnasts who were recognized for their work in the classroom when the 2017 Pac-12 Conference Women's Gymnastics All-Academic teams were announced Wednesday. OSU's 11 selections represent the most in the conference.

It is the third time Gardiner and Ricci have been named to the all-academic first team and second for Silvia Colussi-Pelaez and Khamedoost. McMillan has previously earned second team honors and honorable mention and it is the first such honor for Mariana Colussi-Pelaez.

Junior Dani Dessaints and sophomore McKenna Singley were each named to the all-academic second team. It is first second team award for each with Dessaints having earned honorable mention last year.

Seniors Erika Aufiero and Megan Jimenez and sophomore Mary Jacobsen received honorable mention. It is the third honorable mention selection for Aufiero and Jimenez and the first for Jacobsen.

To be eligible for selection to an all-academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and have participated in at least 50-percent of competitions in the regular season.

Silvia Colussi-Pelaez, a chemical engineering major, has performed in the balance beam lineup in all 11 meets entering the postseason. She has matched her career-high of 9.90 on the event twice in 2017 including the Beavers' most recent outing at Pac-12 Championships. Midway through the season, she was inserted into the floor exercise lineup for the first time in her career scoring a team-high 9.875 in her first outing at California. In the four meets since that time, she has repeatedly turned in scores of 9.90 every time she's taken the floor.

Mariana Colussi-Pelaez, a biology major and the younger sister of Silvia, has performed on the uneven bars in six meets this season and has performed several exhibition routines on the bars and beam. She remains an alternate on both events as the team enters the postseason.

Gardiner, who majors in exercise and sport science, was recently named as the Pac-12 Women's Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year. On the competition floor, Gardiner has performed in the all-around for the Beavers eight times earning all-conference honors on the beam and in the all-around. She has 'hit' all 40 of her routines on the season. Last weekend, Gardiner was named a first team Regular Season All-American by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W). She has won 11 individual titles in 2017, the second-most on the squad.

Khamedoost, who studies exercise and sport science, got off to a slow start to 2017 but since midseason has competed on the uneven bars in the last six meets and the vault twice. She has posted season-bests of 9.850 on bars and 9.775 on vault and has 'hit' all eight of her routines in 2017.

McMillan, a human development and family sciences major, has been lights out for the Beavers in 2017. Enjoying one of the finest seasons in program history, McMillan has won 24 individual titles and was recently named the Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year. She garnered NACGC/W Regular Season All-America accolades in the all-around and on floor exercise last weekend and was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference team in the all-around, floor and vault. She has performed in the all-around in all 11 meets and has 'hit' 43 out of 44 routines.

Ricci, an exercise and sport science major, has been a regular in the vault and floor exercise lineups in 2017 performing on at least event in 10 of 11 meets. A natural in the leadoff position for either event, Ricci has 'hit' all 14 of her routines this season with a career-best tying 9.875 on the floor and a season-best of 9.775 on the vault.

Dessaints, who studies sociology, returned from a season-ending injury in 2016 to become one of the Beavers top performers on the vault and balance beam. Dessaints has upped her career-best scores to 9.950 on both events. Recently, she matched her career-mark on the vault at Pac-12 Championships tying for the meet-high score to become a Pac-12 co-champion on the vault. Last week, Dessaints was announced as a regular season All-American on vault by the NACGC/W.

Singley, a sociology major, has been limited to the uneven bars in 2017 due to an ankle injury. Despite her limited status, Singley has established a new career-high scoring 9.90 on the bars earlier this season. She has 'hit' 10 of her 11 routines this year.

Aufiero, who has a double-major of finance and accountancy, has had a dramatic impact on the Beavers lineups. The fifth-year senior who missed the 2016 season due to injury, returned to OSU's uneven bars lineup earning NACGC/W Regular Season All-America honors last week. Recently, she posted a score of 9.950 to win the bars and become the Pac-12 uneven bars champion. She has secured seven individual titles on the bars this season. She has also been a consistent part of the vault lineup and recently joined the floor exercise lineup for the first time in her career. She has established career-high marks of 9.975 on the bars and 9.875 on the floor this year.

Jacobsen, who is majoring in computer science and is already a senior academically while just a sophomore in the athletics realm, is a regular in the Beavers' vault, bars and floor lineups. In 2017, Jacobsen has raised her career-best marks on vault (9.90) and floor (9.850) and has 'hit' 29 out of 30 routines.

Jimenez, digital communication arts major, began the season in two lineups – beam and floor – before a nagging knee injury sidelined her floor activities. Nevertheless, Jimenez raised her career marks on both events to 9.850. She has 'hit' all 13 of her routines in 2017.

The Beavers compete at the NCAA Champaign Regional Championships hosted by Illinois, next Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m. PT.

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Players Mentioned

Erika Aufiero

Mariana Colussi-Pelaez

Silvia Colussi-Pelaez

Dani Dessaints

Madeline Gardiner

Mary Jacobsen

Megan Jimenez

Shireen Khamedoost

Kaytianna McMillan

Taylor Ricci

McKenna Singley

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