March 26, 2007
IOWA CITY – University of Iowa senior gymnast Jacques Bouchard has been selected one of eight finalists for the Nissen-Emery Award. The award, considered the Heisman Trophy of gymnastics, is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate senior gymnast.
This season Bouchard broke the school record on rings, a record he set last year (9.5) at the Big Ten Championships. His score of 9.55, which he attained twice this season (against Stanford and Illinois) etched his name in the Iowa record book. He was also one of four Hawkeyes to compete in the Winter Cup this season.
According to the GymInfo National rankings, Bouchard is ranked third on rings. He has been awarded the University of Iowa’s Best Work Ethic and Academic Excellence Awards.
Throughout his career Bouchard has been an NCAA and Big Ten finalist on rings (2006) and a two-time team captain. He is a perennial all-American scholar-athlete and member of the all-Big Ten Team.
After graduating in May, the microbiology and biochemistry major plans to volunteer through AmeriCorps in New Mexico, his home state, before eventually attending medical school.
The Nissen-Emery Award was founded by trampoline inventor George Nissen and has been given out annually since 1966.
The winner of the Nissen-Emery Award will be announced just before the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships, which take place April 12-14 at University Park, Pa.
The Hawkeyes compete next at the Big Ten Championships March 30-31 in Minneapolis, MN.
2007 Nissen-Emery Award FinalistsJack Bouchard - IowaBrain Carr - OklahomaMatt Cohen - Penn StatePeter Derman - StanfordWillie Ito - Ohio StateJustin Laury - MichiganJake Lee - MinnesotaTim Morrison - UIC
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