Gymnastics Hands Out 2021 Team Awards

Team MVP Robyn Kelley celebrates with her teammates during a 2021 meet (Photo courtesy Michelle Bronner)

Photo by: Michelle Bronner

7/8/2021 6:49:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics

Kelley takes home team MVP and Katie Baldwin Academic Achievement Award honors

DURHAM, N.H. – University of New Hampshire sophomore gymnast Robyn Kelley (Wakefield, Mass.) was named team MVP and received the Katie Baldwin Academic Achievement Award to highlight the 2021 UNH gymnastics virtual team awards banquet, which was held June 27.

Kelley earned the EAGL Specialist of the Year award and was named to the All-EAGL First Team on vault, balance beam and floor exercise. She tied for third in the conference with a 9.894 National Qualifying Score (NQS) on beam and ranked second on floor with a 9.900 NQS. Kelley hit for a career-best 9.925 floor score, and her personal-best beam score was a 9.900.

"Robyn has a positive attitude, is a hard worker, leads by example and is such a joy to work with," second-year head coach Lindsey Bruck Ayotte said.

Kelley received the Katie Baldwin Academic Achievement Award by virtue of her team-best 3.87 cumulative grade point average as a dual major in justice studies and psychology. The Wakefield, Mass., native was named to the EAGL All-Scholastic Team for the second straight season.

The Most Improved Award went to sophomore Larissa Biette (Belmont, Mass.), who began the year as an exhibition performer on vault before making her way into the lineup. Biette, who scored a personal-best 9.700, also earned a place on the EAGL All-Scholastic Team.

"Larissa continues to train all-around in the gym and works as hard as she can to be ready on any event," Bruck Ayotte said. "This year we were dealt with a lot of challenges, and at one point, I asked if she could do all-around if we needed. Her response was 'I'll do whatever I can to help the team.' We are so proud of the work she puts in, and out, of the gym."

Freshman Jenna DeVincenzo (Bethpage, N.Y.) received the Rookie of the Year award for contributing on vault, bars and beam. She twice notched a 9.75 on vault, set a career high with a 9.825 on bars and competed in the beam lineup every meet, with a career-high 9.775. DeVincenzo was an EAGL All-Scholastic Team member

Freshman Olivia Queri (Victor, N.Y.), an EAGL All-Scholastic gymnast, garnered the team's Most Inspirational Award, presented by assistant coach Amanda Fillard.

"Olivia was faced with some challenging days inside the gym but battled each and every practice and never gave up," Fillard said. "By no means has her gymnastics career been an easy road, but she has worked so hard to be that inspirational voice inside the gym. Her energy, positive attitude and determination never went unnoticed."

Junior Hailey Lui (Collegeville, Pa.) earned the GATOS Award for her commitment to the strength and conditioning program. The All-EAGL First Team competitor (beam, floor) and EAGL All-Scholastic team member was presented the GATOS award by Anna Sanfilippo, assistant strength and conditioning coach.

"Hailey's positivity, focus and determination in all aspects of strength and conditioning make her a true leader in the weight room," Sanfilippo said. "She embraces new challenges, takes advantage of every opportunity to train and pushes herself to become the best athlete she can be."

Ayotte announced that the 2022 Wildcats will be led by senior co-captains Lauren Diggan (Sinking Spring, Pa.) and Kylie Kratchwell (Sewell, N.J.).

The Robert E. Houston, Sr. 9.5 Club honorees were recognized:

First-year recipients
Sierra Bauman (Wallingford, Conn.)
Larissa Biette
Kenadi Brown (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Jenna DeVincenzo
Gianna Graver (East Northport, N.Y.)
Maya MacDonald (East Greenbush, N.Y.)

Second-year recipients
Kylie Gorgenyi (North Reading, Mass.)
Robyn Kelley
Kylie Kratchwell
Alyssa Worthington (West Warwick, R.I.)

Third-year recipients
Hannah Baddick (Gettysburg, Pa.)
Ally Cucich (Aberdeen, N.J.)
Hailey Lui
Mariella Miele (Basking Ridge, N.J.)

Fourth-year recipients
Lauren Diggan
Clare Hampford (Trumbull, Conn.)

About UNH Gymnastics

UNH was ranked No. 35 nationally in the RoadtoNationals.com poll on March 19 when the team had to withdraw from the 2021 EAGL Championship -one day prior to the championship meet at Pitt- due to COVID-19-related protocols. With no ability to compete in that EAGL meet to defend their 2019 championship or add one more score to lock up an NCAA Regional Championship berth, the 'Cats fell out of the Top 36 and finished the season ranked 38^th (195.719 National Qualifying Score).