After earning her first All-American honor with a 12th-place finish on the vault at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships, sophomore Aronda Primault was named the University of Kentucky’s most valuable gymnast by her teammates for the second consecutive season at the team’s annual postseason banquet.

Along with the MVP nod, Primault captured the awards for highest seasonal average on the vault, balance beam, floor exercise and all-around. The Canton, Ohio, native completed the year with a 9.792 average on the vault after her 9.875 performance at the NCAAs and scored a 9.825 or better eight times this season, including a career-high 9.900 at Georgia.

On beam, Primault led the team with a 9.729 average on beam and led the way on floor with a 9.796 average, scoring a career-high 9.925 on each apparatus this season. In the all-around, she completed the season with a 39.270 average and 39.350 career high. Primault earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors with a fifth-place finish at the SEC Championships, before earning a trip to the national championships with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regionals.

Capturing the uneven bars title was sophomore Julie Joy. The Villa Park, Ill., native finished the year with a 9.840 average, which included a career-high 9.925 performance. Joy scored a 9.825 or higher nine times and tallied a 9.900 or higher three times, with four individual titles on the year.

Senior co-captain Jessie Lemp claimed two honors on the night. For the second straight year, the Houston, Texas, native earned the Coaches Award, which is given to the one gymnast who exemplifies the total package – athletics, academics and service. By showing the most dedication, determination and desire this season, the Houston, Texas, native also earned the “3D” Award. Lemp finished the season second on the team on both the bars and beam, and is headed to medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center this fall.

Also for the second consecutive year, senior Nicole Allen staked claim to being the team’s top student-athlete with the highest grade point average among her teammates. The Bowmansville, N.Y., native has been an Academic All-American as well as an SEC Academic Honor Roll member. Allen, who was named to the 2001 Verizon Academic All-District first team, will complete her degree in biology in December.

In one of the team’s best stories, junior Melanie Zaharias returned from a foot injury to provide solid depth to the squad and earn the team’s Comeback of the Year Award. In her first season competing on the floor exercise as a GymKat, the Lakewood, Colo., native finished fourth on the team with a career-high 9.850 against Alabama. Zaharias also finished fourth on vault and fifth on beam, scoring a career-high 9.925 on vault twice.

The Most Improved Gymnast was awarded to freshman Lindsay Cameron of Cookeville, Tenn. Cameron came to the GymKats as a walk-on and made an immediate impact entering the bars lineup in just the second meet of the season. One of the team’s steadiest performers, she finished fifth on the team and scored a career-high 9.775 on three occasions including at the NCAA regionals.

Rounding out the honors, senior Katie Toups was given the Evelyn Newton Spirit Award. Named after the deceased wife of former UK Director of Athletics C.M. Newton, the award is given to the gymnast to best exemplifies team spirit and positive attitude. Toups tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right leg after just the first meet of the season, ending her career, but she continued to be a major contributor to the team as one of its most vocal cheerleaders.

2002UK Gymnastics Postseason Awards
Aronda Primault	Jessie Lemp	Julie Joy	Nicole Allen
MVP Highest Avg. – Vault, Beam, Floor & All-Around	Coaches Award ‘3D’ Award	Highest Avg. – Bars	Highest GPA
Melanie Zaharias	Lindsay Cameron	Katie Toups
Comeback of the Year	Most Improved	Evelyn Newton Spirit Award