PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Gymnastics East Conference announced the winners of its six major end of season awards on Saturday night following the conclusion of its inaugural championship meet at Brown University.
Seven student-athletes and coaches were honored with awards, including Jessica Meakim of West Chester University who was selected as the conference’s Woman of the Year, and Yale coach Andy Leis who was tabbed as the first-ever GEC Head Coach of the Year.
The GEC Woman of the Year candidates were nominated by their teams and the winner selected by a committee of coaches and administrators from each school based on academic achievement, service and leadership, and a personal statement. The remaining awards were selected by a vote involving the league’s eight head coaches.
Co-Newcomers of the Year
Sydney Beers (Cornell)
Beers was consistent across the board this season, holding a NQS of 38.590 in the all-around. She has posted season-highs of 9.775 on vault, 9.600 on bars, 9.750 on beam and 9.800 on floor.
Sherry Wang (Yale)
A solid contributor on three events this season, Wang has posted season-highs of 9.775 on vault, 9.825 on floor, and 9.875 on bars - an event she has won four times.
Photo by Stew Milne
Performance of the Year
Mei Li Costa (Brown)
Costa broke the Brown and Ivy League record on bars on March 6 with a score of 9.975, earning the first-ever perfect 10 score in Brown history from one of the judges. She was recognized with the conference’s Performance of the Week award three times this season.
Photo by Stew Milne
Gymnast of the Year
Lindsay Chia (Yale)
Chia has competed in the all-around in every meet this season, and has posted season-highs of 9.85 on vault, 9.875 on beam, with both marks tying for second all-time in Yale program history. She has also posted a season-high of 9.775 on bars and a career-best 9.875 on floor. Her all-around season-high of 39.1 ranks eighth all-time in Yale history. She entered the GEC Championship ranked first in the conference on vault and all-around, second on beam and tied for second on floor. She was named the GEC Gymnast of the Week three times during the season.
Photo by Stew Milne
Assistant Coach of the Year
Morgan Ross (Yale)
In her first season as the Bulldogs’ assistant coach, Ross has handled all of the team’s choreography and was an integral part of leading the squad to a second place finish in the GEC regular season, and the Ivy Classic title with a score of 195.05, the third-highest in program history.
Photo by Stew Milne
Head Coach of the Year
Andy Leis (Yale)
Taking over as the team’s interim head coach in August 2021, Leis helped lead the Bulldogs to the Ivy Classic title in March with a score of 195.05, the third-highest score on program history.
Photo by Stew Milne
Woman of the Year
Jessica Meakim (West Chester)
Jessica graduated summa cum laude from WCU in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in business management and international business. She is currently pursuing her master’s in public administration with a concentration in nonprofit administration and sports administration. While at WCU, she co-founded Rams Let’s Talk, a student-athlete mental health support group, and Rams Let’s Walk, a 5K to help support student-athlete mental health initiatives that has raised more than $18,000 over the last three years.
Photo by Stew Milne
Article by Tim Geer
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
Brown University
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