May 24, 2007

Fullerton, Calif. - Senior Brittany Evans and three freshmen received team awards at Cal State Fullerton's annual women's gymnastics awards banquet.

Evans (Overland Park, KS / Blue Valley Norhwest HS / Eagles Gymnastics) was presented the Leadership Excellence Award. Freshman of the Year honors went to Brtni Echeverria (Tempe, AZ / Corona Del Sol HS / Carter's Gymnastics Academy) and freshman Shannon Kawada (Gardena, CA / North Torrance HS / Fit Kids Gymnastics) got the Most Inspirational and Most Improved Award.

Academic excellence also was highlighted. Freshman Jessica Merriam (Battleground, WA / CAM HS / Multnomah Athletic Club) got the team's Academic Excellence Award. Western Athletic Conference academic excellence awards (50 percent meet participation, upperclass status and at least a 3.0 grade point average) were presented to Evans, Eric Ficarrotta (Las Vegas, NV / Mojave HS / Go For It USA Gymnastics), Jaime Howe (Poway, CA / Poway HS / Stars & Stripes Gymnastics), Nicole Lim (Oakland, CA / St. Joseph Notre Dame HS / Cal West Gymnastics), Alana Mouery (Salem, OR / Sprague HS / Salem Gymnastics Center), Melissa Schafer (Colorado Springs, CO / Liberty HS / Stars National Gymnastics), Jessica Tait (Santa Clarita, CA / Saugus HS / SCV Aerials) and Amanda Van Horn (Hawthorne, CA / Mira Costa HS / American Gymnastics Academy).