Worley Collects Pair of Awards

KENT, Ohio — Senior gymnast Jolene Worley (Orlando, Fla.-William R. Boone) took home a pair of honors at the annual Mid-American Conference gymnastics awards banquet. Worley was selected as the MAC Gymnast of the Year as well as the Senior Gymnast of the Year.

One of the greatest gymnasts to ever compete at Eastern Michigan, Worley started to make her mark on the historical program as a true freshman, winning Freshman Gymnast of the year honors and earning a regional qualifying spot. She has stood the test of time, competing in every meet for four years, including the all-around 45 out of 47 meets.

Already a two-time regional qualifier, she is on pace to qualify again this year. Currently, she is ranked No. 1 in the Mid-American Conference and No. 73 in the nation in the all-around with an average score of 38.605. At the 2007 MAC Championship, she posted three top-three finishes (second on the floor and bars and third on the beam) en route to a career-high 39.175 in the all-around to capture the championship, EMU’s first all-around champion in 14 years.

Her career-highs, a 9.800 on the vault and uneven bars, a 9.850 on the balance beam, and a 9.875 on the floor, rank her among the elite in EMU history in every event.

The defending Mid-American Conference all-around champion has enjoyed great success in her final year for the Green and White. Overall this season, the two-time MAC Gymnast of the Week has 10 individual event titles (three on the uneven bars and floor exercise and four on the balance beam) and four all-around crowns.

She has finished in the top-10 in the all-around in every meet this season, with her lowest showing a third place finish at the prestigious Michigan Classic. She is ranked in the top 11 in the latest MAC rankings in three events; first in the all-around with an average of 38.605, third on the balance beam (9.705), seventh on the floor (9.645), and eleventh on the bars (9.662).

Worley holds team-high scores on the beam (9.850) and the floor (9.850) and has four of the top six marks in the all-around. She has tied or set career-highs in two events this season, a 9.800 against Bowling Green and Northern Illinois on the vault and a 9.850 against Kent State on the balance beam. In 10 meets this season she has finished in the top-10 seven times on the vault, eight times on the floor and nine times on the uneven bars and balance beam.

Worley, a senior captain, was an integral part of EMU’s first conference championship in school history in 2007 and has the Green and White primed for a repeat run after finishing second in the 2008 regular season.

Start time for the MAC Championship meet at the M.A.C. Center in Kent, Ohio, is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Related News

Related Videos