The UNH gymnastics team photo at the annual awards banquet held May 3, 2026
Photo by: Ryan Moran
Gymnastics Celebrates Season at Annual Awards Banquet
5/6/2026 5:17:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
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Mullin wins second straight MVP award for EAGL regular-season champions
DURHAM, N.H. – Senior Serena Mullin (Hamden, Conn.) was named team MVP for the second straight season to highlight team awards announced during the UNH gymnastics program's 2026 team banquet, held May 3 in the Skybox Lounge of the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex.
Serena Mullin was named team MVP for the second straight season
Mullin, the EAGL co-Senior Gymnast of the Year, competed in the all-around at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional Championship on April 2 after being named All-EAGL First Team on uneven bars, floor exercise and all-around. She added All-EAGL Second Team on vault and balance beam to cap her career with 11 All-EAGL accolades. The Hamden, Conn., native notched a 39.155 National Qualifying Score (NQS) that included a high of 39.225 on three occasions (Jan. 27, Feb. 20, March 8). The four-time EAGL All-Scholastic Team member earned EAGL All-Tournament First Team honors in all-around and Second Team on vault and bars. She was a national nominee for the 2026 AAI Award, presented annually in recognition of athletic performance, academics, leadership and character, and she was a finalist for UNH's most prestigious student-athlete honor for all-around excellence, the Jim Urquhart Outstanding Student-Athlete Award.
"Serena's consistency and excellence have been recognized throughout her career, including multiple EAGL All-Tournament honors across all events," head coach Lindsey Bruck Ayotte said when presenting the award. "Beyond the accolades, she has played a key role in our team's success through her competitiveness, experience, and ability to deliver in high-pressure moments."
Peyton Novinger was named 2026 Most Improved Gymnast
Sophomore Peyton Novinger (Hershey, Pa.) was presented the Most Improved Gymnast by assistant coach Alyssa Worthington. Novinger was a stalwart in UNH's bar lineup, scoring a career-high 9.825 on two occasions (Feb. 1, Feb. 15) and earning All-EAGL Second Team on that apparatus. She worked her way into the floor lineup for the final four meets of the season, including a personal-best 9.850 in her March 4 debut that helped her earn the EAGL Rookie Specialist of the Week Award (March 10).
"Peyton worked her way into the bar lineup and didn't just fill a spot, she made an impact," Worthington said. "On floor, she started the season competing exhibition, continuing to prove herself week after week. That doesn't happen by accident. That happens because of grit, patience, and an unwavering commitment to getting better. What makes this even more exciting is that this is just the beginning. Her potential is incredibly high, and what she's shown to us this year is only a glimpse of what's to come for the next two."
Senior co-captain Leah Moreno received the team's Most Inspirational Award
Senior captain Leah Moreno (Cary, N.C.) received the Most Inspirational Award, which was presented by assistant coach Nick Cramer. Moreno fought through a preseason lower-body injury to remain a consistent presence in the bar lineup, tying her personal best with a 9.875 on March 4. The Cary, N.C., native was named All-EAGL Second Team and EAGL All-Tournament First Team on bars.
"Leah's exceptional academic performance, stellar work ethic, and overall positive attitude have rubbed off on this entire team," Cramer said. "Aside from the long list of academic and athletic accolades, she is just a genuinely spectacular human being."
Freshman Amelia Lannon won the Rookie of the Year Award
Freshman Amelia Lannon (Sutton, Mass.) won the Rookie of the Year award. The two-event gymnast tallied a career-high 9.850 on vault (Feb. 20) and a 9.725 on beam. Lannon tied for the team's top NQS on vault (9.800) to earn All-EAGL First Team, and she was tabbed to the EAGL All-Tournament Second Team in that event.
"When Amelia joined us this year, she hit the ground running -figuratively and literally- on vault, demonstrating continuous progress throughout the year," Cramer said. "Her hard work never went unnoticed. She took every correction she was given and always worked hard to implement those changes."
Poulina Minaev received the Unsung Hero Award
Junior Poulina Minaev (Smithtown, N.Y.) won the Unsung Hero Award. She was named All-EAGL Second Team and All-Tournament Second Team on floor exercise, with a career-high 9.900 on Jan. 18. She also scored a personal-best 9.650 on vault (Jan. 18), 9.800 on bars (March 4) and a 9.725 on beam (Feb. 27).
"At the beginning of the season, Po was thrown into competing all-around with the very limited time training all four events. Without hesitation, she stepped up and took on the challenge because that is what the team needed," Worthington said during the award presentation. "As the season went on, lineups shifted, roles changed, and she found herself in and out at times. But what makes her story so powerful is that none of that ever changed her approach. She kept showing up. She kept working. And she kept pushing to earn her way back. Throughout the season, she earned multiple career highs, which is proof of the work she was putting in behind the scenes. But more than that, she brought resilience, determination, and a mindset that made everyone around her better. She represents exactly what this award stands for."
Sophomore Mady Harvey and junior Poulina Minaev shared the Katie Baldwin Academic Achievement Award
Minaev, a biomedical science: medical and veterinary sciences major, and sophomore Mady Harvey (Freeland, Mich.), a kinesiology: exercise science major, shared the Katie Baldwin Academic Achievement Award courtesy of a 3.94 cumulative grade point average. Harvey, the regular-season EAGL balance beam champion (PB 9.925, Jan. 18), placed first on beam at the EAGL Championship with a 9.875 on March 21, becoming UNH's first outright beam champ since Kayla Gray in 2013. Harvey was also named All-EAGL Second Team on vault with a personal-best 9.850 on Feb. 20 and March 4.
Robert E. Houston, Sr. "Pop" introduced the 9.5 Club in 1989 as a threefold award presented as an acknowledgment of dedication, an appreciation of physical effort and a token of a high degree of proficiency attained. Each gymnast who scored a 9.500 or higher during the season was recognized:
About UNH Gymnastics
The 2026 UNH gymnastics team went a perfect 4-0 to win the outright EAGL regular-season championship for the first time in program history. Head Coach Lindsey Bruck Ayotte was named EAGL Head Coach of the Year after leading the Wildcats to an overall 20-8 record, which included an unbeaten 9-0 mark at home. Senior Serena Mullin was named the EAGL co-Senior Gymnast of the Year, sophomore Mady Harvey was crowned the EAGL balance beam champion in both the regular season and EAGL Championship meet, and junior co-captain McCall McMullen joined Mullin and Harvey as NCAA Regional Championship competitors – McMullen on floor, Harvey on beam and Mullin in all-around.
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