Utah Utes gymnastics: Baskett, Bijak receive academic honors

Utah All-America gymnasts Kristina Baskett and Daria Bijak have been selected to the ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District at-large team.

Baskett, a first-team pick, is now eligible for Academic All-America honors. She was a second-team Academic All- American in 2008. Bijak was voted a second-team Academic All-District member, marking her second year as an all-district academic award recipient.

Baskett has a 3.69 cumulative GPA in communication (electronic journalism emphasis). At the 2009 NCAA Championships, she won five All-America awards, raising her career total to 12. In leading Utah to a third-place NCAA finish, Baskett won an NCAA silver medal in the all-around and took bronze medals on vault, bars and beam.

Bijak, who has a 3.84 GPA in film studies, was a 2009 first-team All-American on the floor, placing fifth, and a second-team All-American in the all-around (11th) and on bars. The junior now has seven career All-America awards. She competed for Germany in the 2008 Beijing Olympics prior to the start of the school year.

In other academic news, the Ute gymnasts finished the 2008-09 year with a 3.423 team GPA. Five Utes were named to the Dean's List, which requires a 3.5-or-better GPA. They were Bijak, Jamie Deetscreek, Jacquelyn Johnson, Gael Mackie and Stephanie McAllister. Ten Utes made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll for spring semester: Baskett, Cortni Beers, Bijak, Deetscreek, Annie DiLuzio, Johnson, Mackie, McAllister, Beth Rizzo and Kyndal Robarts.