Denver’s Alexis Vasquez along with Oklahoma’s Maggie Nichols and Ragan Smith have claimed the 2020 Big 12 gymnastics yearly awards as voted on by the league’s four head coaches.
One of the most distinguished performers in NCAA history, Nichols was tabbed the Conference’s Gymnast of the Year for the second time in her career. The senior boasted 28 event wins in 2020, including four all-around titles. She ranks first nationally in all-around (39.796) and vault (9.967), second on bars (9.950) and fourth on floor (9.946). This season, Nichols captured six Big 12 Gymnasts of the Week awards making her the Conference’s all-time leader in career honors with 16 selections.
Vasquez’s was selected as Big 12 Event Specialist of the Year. The sophomore captured seven event titles on beam with two of those wins coming after scoring a 10. The sophomore led the Big 12 on beam with a 9.938 average and was named the Conference’s Event Specialist of the Week on six occasions. Her performance helped the Pioneers to a No. 7 national ranking.
Smith became the eighth Sooner in program history to be voted as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. In her first season in Norman, Smith won nine event titles, including her first career all-around title against Stanford on February 21. She finished her freshman season ranked seventh nationally on bars (9.855) and earned six Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards. Smith’s contribution helped Oklahoma to a perfect 16-0 record and No. 1 overall national ranking.
Based on National Qualifying Scores (NQS), the 2020 All-Big 12 Team features the top performers on vault, bars, beam, floor and the all-around competition. The team is highlighted by Nichols who qualified in all five categories. Ties in voting created additional spots for bars, beam and floor. For a complete list of honorees and their NQS please see below.
Absent the Big 12 Championship meet, Coach of the Year was not awarded.
Big 12 Gymnast of the Year – Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma
Big 12 Event Specialist of the Year – Alexis Vasquez, Denver
Big 12 Newcomer of the Year – Ragan Smith, Oklahoma
2020 Big 12 All-Conference Team
All-Around
Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma, 39.775
Maddie Karr, Denver, 39.680
Vault
Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma, 9.985
Anastasia Webb, Oklahoma, 9.935
Maddie Karr, Denver, 9.925
Bars
Maddie Karr, Denver, 9.960
Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma, 9.960
Jade Degouveia, Oklahoma, 9.930
Ragan Smith, Oklahoma, 9.930
Beam
Alexis Vasquez, Denver, 9.960
Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma, 9.940
Ragan Smith, Oklahoma, 9.925
Anastasia Webb, Oklahoma, 9.925
Floor
Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma, 9.940
Andrea Maldonado, Iowa State, 9.935
Maddie Karr, Denver, 9.925
Anastasia Webb, Oklahoma, 9.925