Gymnastics | 6/26/2024 12:47:00 PM

DENTON, Texas (June 26, 2024) – Pioneering excellence in the classroom continues to be a foundational focus of the Texas Woman's gymnastics team.

TWU recorded a historic season in competition, while also excelling in their academics.

For the 2024 season, six Pioneers were named to the 2024 College Sports Communicators (CSC) At-Large Academic All-District Team: Emma Brkljacic, Brooke Ferrari, Kaitlyn Hoiland, Emily Six, Daisy Woodring and Kami Zarlengo.

"Our student-athletes daily pursue excellence in all they do, because they take pride in being their best for themselves, their team and their community," said TWU Gymnastics Head Coach Lisa Bowerman. "I am so proud of them for being recognized for their outstanding efforts in the classroom this past year."

The six TWU gymnasts were honored on the CSC Women's At-Large Team, which "recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the athletic realm and in the classroom." To be eligible for nominations, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore and have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (GPA). Gymnasts in the At-Large program also had to be ranked in the top 75 in an event within their division according to Road to Nationals. All six Pioneer honorees boasted above a 3.7 cumulative GPA.

As there is not a designated academic honor program for gymnastics, the At-Large program recognizes student-athletes from eligible sports within the NCAA, NAIA and other institutions not included in the other academic programs. The full list of At-Large sports can be viewed here.

First-year Pioneer Emma Brkljacic transferred to TWU this season, and she is currently majoring in Public Health. During the 2024 season, Brkljacic competed on vault, beam and floor, setting career high marks on all three events throughout the season. During the season, she was honored as the Midwest Independent Conference (MIC) Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 31. At the 2024 MIC Championships, she placed second on beam with a 9.900 and third on floor with a 9.850 to earn First Team All-MIC honors on both events. Additionally, Brkljacic earned seventh place on vault to claim Second Team All-MIC honors. She closed the season by being named a USA Gymnastics (USAG) Second Team-Team All-American on vault. Brkljacic was also named a USAG and MIC Scholar-Athlete for her excellence in the classroom. This marks her first CSC Academic All-District honor of her career.

Sophomore Brooke Ferrari also claims her first CSC Academic All-District honor. Ferrari, who is pursuing a degree in art, was a mainstay in the Pioneers' bars lineup this season, as she competed in every bars lineup for TWU this season. On March 10 at the NC State Quad Meet, Ferrari tied the (at the time) TWU individual record on bars and set a career high mark of 9.925. For this score, Ferrari earned MIC Performance of the Week honors. At the MIC Championships, she earned Second Team All-MIC honors on bars. Then, for the second straight season, Ferrari qualified for the USAG Individual Finals on bars and claimed USAG First Team All-American status. She was also named a MIC and USAG Scholar-Athlete for her commitment to success in the classroom.

Kaitlyn Hoiland, who transferred to TWU this season, shone in her first year with the Pioneers. Hoiland is pursuing a major in Kinesiology. During the season, she competed on vault, bars and beam – setting career high marks of a 9.90 or higher on all three events. On March 17, Hoiland broke the TWU individual record on bars with a new historical mark of a 9.950. During the course of the season, Hoiland earned three MIC Weekly Awards – Performance of the Week, Newcomer of the Week and Coaches Choice Award. At the close of the regular season, Hoiland boasted the highest national qualifying scored (NQS) on vault, earning Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) First Team All-American honors. Furthermore, she also claimed the second highest NQS on bars to earn WCGA Second Team All-American honors. She was also named the MIC Newcomer of the Year. At the 2024 MIC Championships, Hoiland earned First Team All-MIC honors on vault, claiming the event title with a 9.875. To close the season, she qualified on vault for the USAG Individual Finals and finished as the National Runner-Up to also earn First Team All-American honors. Hoiland claimed another All-American honor at the USAG National Championships for her score on bars during the semifinals, as she was named a USAG Second Team All-American. At the end of the USAG National Championships, Hoiland was honored as the USAG Outstanding Senior Athlete. For her dedication to excellence in the classroom, Hoiland was named a MIC and USAG Scholar-Athlete. This marks Hoiland's first CSC Academic All-District honor.

Emily Six graduated from TWU this spring with a degree in biology. In her final season with the Pioneers, she competed on vault, beam and floor. In her first season competing on floor, she scored a career high 9.850 during the season. Additionally, her efforts on floor helped the Pioneers set a new TWU program record on floor of a 49.375 on Feb. 3. For her second straight season, Six qualified for the USAG Individual Finals on beam and earned First Team All-America honors. Six was also honored for her commitment to success in the classroom, as she was named a MIC and USAG Scholar-Athlete. This marks Six's first CSC Academic All-District honor.

The 2023 CSC At-Large Academic All-American of the Year Daisy Woodring adds her second consecutive CSC Academic All-District honor to her list of accolades. Woodring is currently pursuing her master's degree in chemistry. She closed her final season with the Pioneers competing on vault, beam and floor. In historical fashion, Woodring set a TWU individual record on vault with her career high 9.950 on Feb. 23. Additionally, she matched TWU's individual record on floor with a career high 9.950 on Feb. 3 to help lead the Pioneers to their record-breaking team score on floor of 49.375. Woodring was a two-time MIC Performance of the Week winner during the season. She closed the season with the second highest NQS on vault and floor to earn WCGA Second Team All-America honors on both events. Woodring was honored as the MIC Athlete of the Year, the MIC Woman of the Year and the WCGA Division II Athlete of the Year. At the MIC Championships, she claimed the MIC Floor Title with a 9.900, claiming All-MIC First Team honors on floor. She also placed fifth on beam with a 9.825 to earn All-MIC Second Team honors. For her continued academic success, Woodring was honored as a MIC and USAG Scholar-Athlete.

Sophomore Kami Zarlengo, who is majoring in education, claims her first CSC Academic All-District honor. Zarlengo competed for the Pioneers on vault, bars and floor during her sophomore season, scoring career highs on both bars (9.825) and floor (9.750). At the MIC Championships, Zarlengo placed sixth to earn All-MIC Second Team honors. Then, at the USAG National Championships, Zarlengo advanced to the Individual Finals on bars for the first time in her career to be named a USAG First Team All-American on bars. For her commitment to success in the classroom, Zarlengo was named a MIC and USAG Scholar-Athlete.

After being selected to the All-District Team, student-athletes were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. All six Pioneers have been selected to move on to the All-America ballot. According to the CSC, first-, second- and third- team honorees will be announced on Tuesday, July 16.