Madison, Wis. – February 14, 2017 – Lisa O’Donnell (Berwyn, Ill.) and Mackenzie Smith (Milwaukee, Wis.) of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s gymnastics program were both recognized for their standout performances this past weekend, as the duo earned Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Gymnast of the Week honors, announced on Tuesday.
O’Donnell, a sophomore for the Warhawks, earned All-Around Gymnast of the Week honors, while Smith, a senior, was tabbed the Specialist of the Week.
O’Donnell tied her career high score and bested six others in the all-around, including five NCAA Division I student-athletes, with a 38.550 to help the Warhawks remain unbeaten on the season by besting Southeast Missouri State University, Winona State University and UW-Eau Claire at the Harley Davidson Invitational in Milwaukee on Feb. 10. She finished among the top three in all four events, winning the floor exercise with a 9.800, which is tied for the seventh-best score in school history. O’Donnell also placed on the uneven parallel bars (9.650), tied for second on the vault (9.525) and tied for third on the balance beam (9.575). Her performances helped UW-Whitewater post the No. 13 score in school history on the uneven bars (47.550) and the No. 11 mark in the record book on balance beam (47.500).
Smith won the uneven bars with a score of 9.700, tied for the No. 21 mark in program history, to help the Warhawks remain unbeaten for the season with wins over NCAA Division I Southeast Missouri State University, Winona State University and UW-Eau Claire at the Harley Davidson Invitational in Milwaukee on Feb. 10. Her performance on the uneven bars helped UW-Whitewater finish with the team’s 13th-highest score in program history on the apparatus (47.550). Smith has now scored at least a 9.700 in the event in each of her last two meets. She added an eighth-place in her season debut on the balance beam with a score of 9.450 to help the team post the program’s No. 11 score in the record book in the event (47.500).