DENVER ?“ Southern Utah?™s Leah Sakhitab has been named the Xbox Live Western Athletic Conference Gymnast of the Week for the week of Feb. 20. This is the first WAC Gymnast of the Week honor for Southern Utah.
Sakhitab, a junior from Rochester, Minn., was a champion on bars and co-champ on beam as the No. 22 Thunderbirds topped West Virginia, 194.700-193.625. Southern Utah is the only WAC team this season to break the 194.000 mark twice and are one of only two teams to break the 194.000 mark this season. She tied her season-high on vault at 9.80, had a season-best on bars at 9.825 to place first in the event, finished tied for first on beam with a 9.80 and was solid on floor at 9.750.s She scored a 39.175 in the all-around and was among the meet?™s top-three finishers in every event except floor. The 39.175 is the second-highest all-around score in the WAC this season.
Other nominees included: Erica Ficarrotta of Cal State Fullerton scored a 38.250 in the all-around and had a top-10 finish on floor … Alexis Tsurmoto of Sacramento State led the Hornets to a season-high 193.925 with a 9.850 on bars. … Shina Cardeno of San Jose State scored a season-high 9.825 on vault with the third-best vault score in school history ... Jessica Parenti of Utah State finished in a four-way tie for first with a 9.750 on floor.