University of Minnesota Athletics
MGYM: Alvarez and True Earn CGA Scholar-Athlete Accolades
8/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Alvarez earned the honor for the fourth consecutive season, joining Illinois’ Ben Newman, Springfield’s Robert Sander and Penn State’s Jerker Taudien as the only gymnasts on this year’s Academic Team to earn the award four times.
As a team, the Gophers finished 14th overall among collegiate men’s gymnastics teams for cumulative average. Stanford led all schools with a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.403.
Alvarez, who capped an outstanding career by earning the 2005 Nissen-Emery Award as the nation's top senior gymnast, was also named Academic All-District by ESPN The Magazine earlier this season. He was a 2005 All-American on the pommel horse, vault and in the all- around. Alvarez was also the 2005 Big Ten champion on the vault and took third in the all-around. A psychology major, Alvarez was an All-American and All-Big Ten athlete in each of his four years and also qualified for the 2005 U.S. Senior National Team.
True, who transferred from Illinois-Chicago to Minnesota prior to last season, had a solid sophomore campaign for the Gophers. He earned career-high marks of 8.700 on the floor exercise against Illinois (1/22/05) and posted career highs of 9.450 on the vault and 9.050 on the parallel bars at Illinois Chicago (1/29/05). True, a mechanical engineering major, also had a career-high score of 9.250 on the high bar against Michigan.
“I am very proud of not only Guillermo and Kyle, but of our entire team,” said Minnesota head men’s gymnastics coach Mike Burns. “We have made the commitment to excel in the gym and in the classroom and this award is indicative of the steps we are taking in both areas.”
