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Wiskus Named 2020 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year
5/14/2020 10:02:00 AM | Men's Gymnastics
Shane Wiskus has earned his third Big Ten Gymnast of the Year award in as many seasons at Minnesota, the conference announced Thursday.
Despite the season being shortened due to COVID-19 public health concerns, the junior captain shined in his four meets with the Gophers. He finished the year as the nation's No. 1 all-arounder and was also ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten on parallel bars. He was ranked No. 4 on rings and No. 8 on floor and vault among conference competitors, and was not outside the top 15 in any event.
He racked up three all-around titles, seven event titles and six podium finishes and never had a routine score lower than 8th place. He set new personal highs on rings (14.450), parallel bars (15.100) and all-around (84.600) and held all but two of Minnesota's top season scores.
Wiskus was also named the 2020 College Gymnastics Association MVP for his outstanding season and received three All-American honors from the organization: on rings, parallel bars and all-around. He is now a nine-time All-American in his career at Minnesota so far.
In earning his third Gymnast of the Year award, Wiskus joins a small, but extremely successful club of Big Ten gymnasts. Only three others have earned the award three times: John Roethlisberger (Minnesota: 1990-93), Blaine Wilson (Ohio State: 1995-97) and Sam Mikulak (Michigan: 2011, 2013-14). Like Wiskus, they were all Big Ten Freshman of the Year honorees as rookies. They each also went on to win the prestigious Nissen-Emery Award in their senior collegiate seasons and are all Olympians. Mikulak, who competed at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, is currently on the U.S. Senior National Team with Wiskus.
Roethlisberger, a Gophers alum, three-time NCAA all-around champion and three-time Olympian, has been the only Big Ten gymnast to ever win the award in each of his collegiate seasons.
Wiskus received the title in 2019 after earning four all-around titles,12 event titles and 30 podium finishes in the regular season. He took the parallel bars bronze at the Big Ten Championships, but went on to win the national title in the event, the all-around silver and sixth on vault at the NCAA Championships to earn three All-American honors.
In 2018 he was a dual conference winner, taking home Gymnast and Freshman of the Year awards. He was also the national all-around runner up that year, and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2018 and 2019.
It is the fourth consecutive Big Ten Gymnast of the Year honor for Minnesota, as Justin Karstadt ('19) earned the honor in 2017. Since 1988, the Gophers have won the award nine times, bested only by Ohio State.
Senior year is next up for Wiskus. While aiming to cap his collegiate career with more success, he will also continue to train with the U.S. Senior National Team, working toward one of four spots on the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Team.
Despite the season being shortened due to COVID-19 public health concerns, the junior captain shined in his four meets with the Gophers. He finished the year as the nation's No. 1 all-arounder and was also ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten on parallel bars. He was ranked No. 4 on rings and No. 8 on floor and vault among conference competitors, and was not outside the top 15 in any event.
He racked up three all-around titles, seven event titles and six podium finishes and never had a routine score lower than 8th place. He set new personal highs on rings (14.450), parallel bars (15.100) and all-around (84.600) and held all but two of Minnesota's top season scores.
Wiskus was also named the 2020 College Gymnastics Association MVP for his outstanding season and received three All-American honors from the organization: on rings, parallel bars and all-around. He is now a nine-time All-American in his career at Minnesota so far.
In earning his third Gymnast of the Year award, Wiskus joins a small, but extremely successful club of Big Ten gymnasts. Only three others have earned the award three times: John Roethlisberger (Minnesota: 1990-93), Blaine Wilson (Ohio State: 1995-97) and Sam Mikulak (Michigan: 2011, 2013-14). Like Wiskus, they were all Big Ten Freshman of the Year honorees as rookies. They each also went on to win the prestigious Nissen-Emery Award in their senior collegiate seasons and are all Olympians. Mikulak, who competed at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, is currently on the U.S. Senior National Team with Wiskus.
Roethlisberger, a Gophers alum, three-time NCAA all-around champion and three-time Olympian, has been the only Big Ten gymnast to ever win the award in each of his collegiate seasons.
Wiskus received the title in 2019 after earning four all-around titles,12 event titles and 30 podium finishes in the regular season. He took the parallel bars bronze at the Big Ten Championships, but went on to win the national title in the event, the all-around silver and sixth on vault at the NCAA Championships to earn three All-American honors.
In 2018 he was a dual conference winner, taking home Gymnast and Freshman of the Year awards. He was also the national all-around runner up that year, and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2018 and 2019.
It is the fourth consecutive Big Ten Gymnast of the Year honor for Minnesota, as Justin Karstadt ('19) earned the honor in 2017. Since 1988, the Gophers have won the award nine times, bested only by Ohio State.
Senior year is next up for Wiskus. While aiming to cap his collegiate career with more success, he will also continue to train with the U.S. Senior National Team, working toward one of four spots on the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Team.
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