July 23, 2010
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri gymnast Sarah Shire is in the running for Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year. The four-time All-American had arguably one of the best seasons in program history after being named NCAA South Central Region's Gymnast of the Year and Co-Big 12 Gymnast of the Year for the second consecutive year. Shire set new career highs in all five categories and matched a program-high 9.975 on floor.
Earning All-America first-team honors on vault and floor and Second Team All-America honors on bars, Shire finished the season with 36 event titles. The Missouri senior also won 11 all-around titles to break the school's single season record. The six-time Big 12 Gymnast of the Week earned all-conference honors on vault, bars, beam, floor and all-around in 2010, making her the only gymnast to earn a spot on all five teams. She earned conference gymnast of the week honors 13 times throughout her career, the most in conference history.
The Big 12 will announce the Athlete of the Year candidates from each school until July 23. Fans can vote for their favorite athletes from July 23-28 and the votes will be factored into the selection of the Athlete of the Year Awards.
