Ty Echard Named 2012 Nissen-Emery Award Finalist – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/21/2012 12:00:00 AM | General, Men's Gymnastics
March 21, 2012
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ty Echard, a senior and two-time All-American on the Ohio State men’s gymnastics team, was named a 2012 Nissen-Emery Award finalist by the College Gymnastics Association.
“It is a great honor to be considered among the elite class of NCAA collegiate gymnasts,” Echard said. “Only a handful of gymnasts each year are selected as candidates and I’m very proud to be among this distinguished group of individuals.”
Echard, who is a team captain this season, was named an All-American in both the 2009 and 2011 campaigns after placing third on pommel horse in both the 2009 and 2011 NCAA Championships. A two-time All-Big Ten honoree, Echard holds the school record on the event with a 15.9 set in his final meet at St. John Arena against Stanford March 9. Overall, Echard has won 11 pommel horse titles in his career.
“This is a great accomplishment for Ty to be among finalist for such a prestigious award,” head coach Rustam Sharipov said. “He deserves it.”
Four Buckeyes have won the award, including Mike Racanelli in 1990, Kip Simons in 1994, Blaine Wilson in 1997 and Jamie Natalie in 2001. In the last 20 years, only Oklahoma has had more gymnasts garner the recognition with six winners. Since 1989, Illinois has had three honorees, while Minnesota and Stanford each have had two honorees. The Scarlet and Gray have produced a candidate to the award’s finalists list 11 of the last 14 seasons.
Each year, the prestigious Nissen-Emery Award is presented to the nation’s outstanding senior male collegiate gymnast. In addition to excellence in the sport, the winner also must be an example of good sportsmanship and maintain a high standard of scholarship throughout his college career.
The winner will be announced at the 2012 CGA/NCAA Annual Awards Ceremony and Men’s Gymnastics Championship Banquet in Norman, Okla., the site of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships.
The 2012 Nissen-Emery Award Finalists:
Paul Ruggeri – University of Illinois
Andrew Faulk – United States Naval Academy
DJ Repp – University of Minnesota
Ty Echard – The Ohio State University
Miguel Pineda – Penn State University
Glen Ishino – University of California Berkeley
