University of Minnesota Athletics
Lindsay Mable Earns AAI Award
4/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
FORT WORTH - University of Minnesota women's gymnastics senior, Lindsay Mable, was named the 2016 recipient of the AAI Award.
The AAI Award is considered the Heisman Trophy in gymnastics and is presented to an outstanding senior gymnast. The award has been presented for 25 years by American Athletic, Inc as voted on by the collegiate coaches.
The Aurora, Colo. native was a finalist along with Caitlin Atkinson (Auburn University), Ivana Hong (Stanford University), Nina McGee (University of Denver), Haley Scaman (University of Oklahoma) and Bridget Sloan (University of Florida). Mable is the first recipient of the award from the University of Minnesota.
"We are thrilled for Lindsay and our program for this incredible honor," said head coach Jenny Hansen. "No Minnesota athlete has ever won the AAI Award and she is incredibly deserving. She has become the most decorated gymnast in Minnesota history during her career and has elevated our program to a new level sincer her arrival."
"To say this is a huge and humbling honor is an understatement," said Mable. "There are so many phenomenal gymnasts in the NCAA, the ones who were also nominated and beyond, who exceed what it means to excel at what they do, so to be the recipient of the "gymnastics Heisman" is really hard to put words to. I'm incredibly blessed and honored, but this wouldn't be possible without the incredible team, coaches and family that I have."
Mable has helped lead the Maroon and Gold to a storied 2016 season which included a 9-0 finish in the Big Ten, a Big Ten Regular-Season Championship, a second place finish at the Minneapolis NCAA Regional that qualified the team to the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. The last time Minnesota qualified as a team was Mable's freshman season in 2013. In addition, Mable was named back-to-back Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and the female recipient of the Big Ten Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award.
Past AAI Award Winners:
1991 - Joy Selig from Oregon State University
1992 - Missy Marlowe-Anglesey from University of Utah
1993 - Tammy Marshall from University of Massachusetts
1994 - Chari Knight from Oregon State University
1995 - Beth Wyler from University of Michigan
1996 - Jenny Hansen from University of Kentucky
1997 - Kristin Quackenbush from West Virginia University
1998 - Kim Arnold from University of Georgia
1999 - Jenni Boatyard from University of Georgia
2000 - Heidi Hornbook from University of Arizona
2001 - Mohini Bhardwaj from UCLA
2002 - Andree Pickens from University of Alabama
2003 - Theresa Kulikowski from University of Utah
2004 - Jamie Dantzscher from UCLA
2005 - Richelle Simpson from University of Nebraska
2006 - Courtney Bumpers from University of North Carolina
2007 - Janet Anson from Iowa State University
2008 - Ashley Postal from University of Utah
2009 - Courtney Kupets from University of Georgia
2010 - Susan Jackson from Louisiana State University
2011 - Kylee Botterman from University of Michigan
2012 - Amy Glass from Boise State University
2013 - Vanessa Zamarripa from UCLA
2014 - Emily Wong from University of Nebraska
2015 - Georgia Dabritz from University of Utah
2016 - Lindsay Mable from University of Minnesota
Players Mentioned
