Dec. 13, 2012
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Javier Balboa has been named the College Gymnastics Association National Gymnast of the Week.
“This honor marks a great start to the 2013 competitive season,” said UI head coach JD Reive. “Javier is a leader both in the gym and in the classroom. Javier has high, yet quite achievable, goals for his senior season, and it is gratifying for the NCAA gymnastics community to recognize his progress. Hopefully, this is the first of many.”
Balboa garnered the honor after he was crowned event champion on the high bar and parallel bars at Iowa’s Black & Gold Intrasquad.
A senior from Monterrey, Mexico, Balboa competes in the all-around for the Hawkeyes. He appeared in every meet last season, excluding one due to injury, achieving 16 top-five finishes. Balboa is a two-time NCAA Championship qualifier. He placed 14th in the all-around at the 2012 NCAA Championships. Balboa holds Iowa’s parallel bars record with a score of 15.050, which earned him fourth place at the NCAA Qualifier in 2012.
The voting is performed by 17 NCAA men’s coaches, 34 CGA Honorary Life Members and several major club coaches. This marks Balboa’s first career CGA weekly award. In addition, this is the first weekly award for the 2012-13 season.
Balboa and the Hawkeyes will open the 2013 season at the Windy City Invite on Jan. 19 in Chicago.