WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – On Tuesday evening just under two days prior to the start of the 2023 National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) National Championships at the Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex (ASRC) in West Liberty, West Virginia, the NCATA announced its 2023 major awards via a social media reveal on the NCATA Instagram and Twitter accounts.
 
Tuesday’s major award winners join last night’s All-Academic Team and All-America Team honorees to complete the announcement of the association’s postseason awards/honors for the 2023 season.
 
Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year (Divisional Award)
 
DIVISION I – Kamryn Kitchens, Baylor
 
Kitchens, a senior top and tumbler from Kennesaw, Ga., competed in 14 different heats throughout the season, averaging at least 10 heats per meet for the Bears. As a top and tumbler, Kitchens helped Baylor to 10 different heats that averaged a score of 9.60 or higher during the regular season. Kitchen and the Bears averaged a 9.89 in the compulsory toss and synchronized pyramid, while Kitchens averaged a 9.935 in the aerial tumbling pass in five meets this season. She was also part of three different heats that posted a perfect 10.0 this season. Kitchens is now a two-time NCATA All-American and three-time NCATA All-Academic selection.
 
DIVISION II – Jacie Van de Zilver, Azusa Pacific University
 
Van de Zilver, a senior top and tumbler from Jackson, N.J., competed in 11 heats and team event during meets this season. Van de Zilver helped Azusa Pacific average a 9.65 or higher in eight different heats, including a 9.86 in the open pyramid and a 9.84 in the six-element tumbling pass. She also helped APU average a 9.79 in both the five-element acro and 450 salto toss heats this season. She has now been named the Division II NCATA Athlete of the Year twice and she is a three-time NCATA All-American.
 
DIVISION III – Katelyn Kolodziejczyk, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
 
Kolodziejczyk, a junior base and tumbler from College Station, Texas, competed in 11 heats and team event for Mary Hardin-Baylor this season. Kolodziejczyk helped UMHB to the Division III Invitational Championship by averaging a 9.60 or higher in five heats this season, including a season-high 9.79 average in the open pyramid and a 9.78 average in the compulsory pyramid. She was the Division III Specialist of the Year in 2022.
 
 
Specialist of the Year (Divisional Award)
 
DIVISION I – Jordan Gruendler, Baylor University
 
Gruendler, a sophomore top from San Antonio, Texas, was a standout in the pyramid event for the Bears, recording five perfect 10.0 scores. Gruendler is the only top in the country to execute an extended straddle press to handstand on a single mid-level base during open pyramid. Baylor averages a 9.93 in the open pyramid with one perfect 10.0 and four scores of 9.95. In the inversion pyramid, Gruendler and Baylor average a 9.96 with four perfect 10.0 scores and three 9.95 scores.
 
DIVISION II – Ty Upton, Gannon University
 
Upton, a sophomore top from South Amboy, N.J., was a standout in the toss event for Gannon this season. As a top, Upton helped Gannon average a 9.76 in the 450 salto toss and a 9.68 in the synchronized toss. Upton and GU scored a season-high 9.95 in the 450 salto toss and had a 9.75 or higher six times in the heat. In the synchronized toss, Upton helped Gannon to a season-best 9.80. The Knights didn’t score lower than a 9.60 in the synchronized heat this season.
 
DIVISION III – Morgan Webb, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
 
Webb, a sophomore base from Austin, Texas, was a standout in the pyramid event for UMHB this season. Webb competed in each of the three pyramid heats for the Cru this season, as the team averaged a 9.79 in the open pyramid, a 9.60 in the synchronized pyramid and a 9.58 in the inversion pyramid. In the open pyramid, UMHB posted four scores of 9.80 or higher, including a perfect 10.0. In all, Webb and UMHB recorded 10 scores of 9.70 or higher in the pyramid event.
 
 
Freshman of the Year (Divisional Award)
 
DIVISION I – Gianna Cameron, Baylor University
 
Cameron, a base and tumbler from South Charleston, Ohio, competed in eight different heats for Baylor this season, helped the Bears to an average score of 9.89 in the compulsory toss. Cameron competed in all three toss heats for Baylor, helping the Bears average a 9.68 in three appearances in the open toss heat, and a 9.53 in three appearances in the 450 salto toss heat. She competed six times in synchronized pyramid, helping the Bears to a season average of 9.48. Cameron was also a tumbler for the Bears in compulsory tumbling, trio tumbling and quad tumbling.
 
DIVISION II – Kacie Kier, Limestone University
 
Kier, a base and tumbler from Elgin, S.C., competed in nine heats and team event for Limestone this season. Kier helped Limestone average a 9.60 or higher in three different heats, including a 9.89 in the open pyramid, a 9.71 in the compulsory toss, and a 9.64 in the synchronized pyramid. She also competed as an individual in the open tumbling pass, scoring a 9.50 or higher four times this season (including a season-high 9.725).
 
DIVISION III – Jenna Hall, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
 
Hall, a top and tumbler from Houston, Texas, competed in nine different heats for Mary Hardin-Baylor this season, helping the Cru average a 9.60 in synchronized pyramid and 9.58 in compulsory toss. She helped UMHB to 10 scores of 9.50 or higher this season. In addition, Hall also competed as a tumbler in the duo and open passes.
 
 
Louise Goodrum Academic Award – Melanie Reed, Quinnipiac University
 
The Louise Goodrum Academic Award is given annually to recognize the true meaning of student-athlete. Modeled after the NCAA's Elite 90 award, which honors the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport while also achieving the highest academic standard in his/her sport. In the NCATA, the award is presented to the junior or senior student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average whose team earned a berth participating in the NCATA national championship tournament.
 
The 2023 recipient of the Louise Goodrum Academic Award is Melanie Reed from Quinnipiac University. Reed, a junior base from Wolcott, Conn., has a 4.0 grade-point average as a Criminal Justice major at QU. She has also begun work on her MBA. On the mat, Reed competed in six heats for the Bobcats this season, including all three toss heats. Reed is set to graduate this spring and has also been awarded for work in the classroom on the QU campus. Reed earned the 2023 President’s Scholarship Award, the 2023 Alumni Association Academic Achievement Award for the College of Arts and Sciences, and the 2023 Senior Service Prize in Criminal Justice.
 
 
Coach of the Year – Katie Nunley, Frostburg State University
 
Nunley, in her third season as Head Acrobatics & Tumbling Coach at Frostburg State, led her Bobcats to a 10-2 record this season, including the programs first-ever MEC Regular Season and Tournament Championships. Frostburg also earned its first-ever berth in the NCATA National Championship tournament and ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation this season. Nunley and the Bobcats set a number of program records this season, including highest meet (273.510). The Bobcats also posted two perfect scores this season in open toss.
 
 
Colleen Kausrud Leadership Award – Peyton Barnes, Fairmont State University
 
In honor of Colleen Kausrud, one of the founding coaches in the association from Azusa Pacific, the NCATA added the Colleen Kausrud Leadership Award to the regular season annual awards presented at the NCATA National Championships in 2021. 
 
Throughout her career, Colleen exemplified servant leadership in her work with the NCATA and at Azusa Pacific. A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong.
 
The Colleen Kausrud Leadership Award is awarded annually to a senior student-athlete who exemplifies servant leadership throughout her career by:
• Being considered a selfless leader among teammates and coaches
• Demonstrating leadership in her campus or local community
• Contributing positively to the sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling through advocacy, education or training at the youth level
 
The winner of the 2023 Colleen Kausrud Leadership Award is Peyton Barnes from Fairmont State University.
 
Barnes, a senior base from Waldorf, Maryland, was a named the MEC Specialist of the Year and a second team All-Conference selection for her efforts on the mat this season. She competed in seven different heats for the Falcons this season as a base.
 
Barnes has a 3.97 grade-point average as a National Security and Intelligence, Political Science and Criminal Justice major at Fairmont State. She will graduate Summa Cum Laude and is currently enrolled in the Master’s of National Security and Intelligence program at FSU. She has logged over 550 hours of community service.
 
Her campus leadership activities include: Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (serves as campus president and is a MEC conference representative), Black Student Union President, and Vice President of Iota Phi Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.
 
She is also a three-time NCATA All-Academic Team selection and has won MEC event finals championships in six-element acro, synchronized pyramid and 450 salto toss.