Just days after she achieved her new career-best 39.55 in the all-around against Michigan on Friday, Maryland gymnastics’ Audrey Barber earned a spot on the 2021 All-Big Ten first team, the conference announced on Wednesday afternoon.
The all-conference teams are determined based on each gymnast’s contribution to their team’s national qualifying score throughout the 2021 season.
This is the third time Barber has received All-Big Ten honors in her career. The senior had previously been named to the first team as a freshman and to the second team as a sophomore.
“Audrey always wants to go for perfection, and she works so hard. And she wants to really leave her mark on this program and leave her name in the record books,” coach Brett Nelligan said of his senior before Friday’s meet.
[Maryland gymnastics notches a 195.05 at Senior Night, despite stumbles on beam, floor]
Sophomore Reese McClure also earned All-Big Ten honors for the first time in her career on Wednesday, being named to the second team. McClure notched a career-high 9.925 on the balance beam in the Terps’ first meet of the season and tied her career-best of 9.90 on the vault in Friday’s home meet against Michigan.
One more Terp earned an award on Wednesday — junior Sanya Glauber represented Maryland as its Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree, based on her ethical behavior and good citizenship outside of the competition setting.
Wednesday’s announcements set the stage for the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, where Barber, McClure and the rest of the all-conference gymnasts will get an opportunity to prove why they belong in that elite group of athletes.
