UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Senior Adrian Evans has been selected as a finalist for the 2014 Nissen-Emery Award, as announced by the College Gymnastics Association on Wednesday (March 12). Widely regarded as one of the most prestigious collegiate men’s gymnastics honors, Evans joins eight other student-athletes from around the nation in this year’s group of nine finalists.
The Nissen-Emery Award is an annual honor presented to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in collegiate gymnastics. First awarded in 1966, the accolade honors the senior gymnast who has established a record of outstanding achievement throughout his collegiate career, while also maintaining a high standard of academic scholarship and sportsmanship.
A native of Boulder Colo., Evans earned his second consecutive All-America honor on the pommel horse at the 2013 NCAA national championship. Outside of the gym, the 2014 team captain has earned College Gymnastics Association All-America Scholar-Athlete honors in the last three consecutive seasons, while also earning a spot on the Academic All-Big Ten team.
Evans is the 26th Nissen-Emery finalist in Penn State program history and the third consecutive Nittany Lion finalist since 2012. A total of six Penn State gymnasts have gone on to earn collegiate gymnastics’ highest honor, including the most recent Penn State award winner, Casey Sandy, who captured the top honor in 2009.
Each year, collegiate gymnastics coaches, student-athletes and accredited college gymnastics judges from across the nation submit their nominations for the award prior to the conclusion of the current season. Gymnasts receiving a 50 percent vote of confidence from the head coaches are then placed on a final ballot and voted upon by the coaches, team captains, Honorary Lifetime Members, and conference judges.
The award will be presented at the NCAA national championship at the University of Michigan during the CGA Awards Banquet, Wednesday, April 9, at 8 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Mich. The trophy is inscribed with the motto: “The true champion seeks excellence physically, mentally, socially, and morally.”
The original Nissen Award was named in honor of George Nissen, a former NCAA champion, for his contributions to men’s gymnastics. The award was re-named the Nissen-Emery Award in 1998 to honor Dr. Robert Emery, a Penn State graduate, who won the Nissen Award in 1969.
This weekend, Evans and the rest of the No. 7 Penn State men’s gymnastics team will travel to No. 3 Michigan this weekend for their final regular season dual meet. The Nittany Lions and the Wolverines will square off Friday, March 14 at 3:30 p.m. in Cliff Keen Arena. The meet will broadcast live on the Big Ten Network with Mike Wolf and John Roethlisberger on the call.
2014 Nissen-Emery Finalists1. Donothan Bailey, Cal-Berkeley2. Zack Chase, Minnesota3. Presten Ellsworth, Oklahoma4. Adrian Evans, Penn State5. Landon Funiciello, William and Mary6. Sam Mikulak, Michigan7. Michael Newburger, Ohio State8. Chris Turner, Stanford9. Kip Webber, US Military Academy