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Davis

Davis, California

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Athlete of the Quarter…

Junior Katie Yamamura has been positively stellar for UC Davis’ women’s gymnastics team this year.

This season, Yamamura was named MPSF Gymnast of the Week six times. Those honors led to All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors in all four individual events and the all-around, including conference titles in the vault and uneven bars. Her amazing performance at the conference meet culminated in a MPSF Gymnast of the Year Award.

She held the top regional-qualifying scores on vault, bars and all-around for the MPSF.

Yamamura capped off her 2012 season by earning her second bid to the NCAA Seattle Regional.

The Palo Alto, Calif. native impresses off the mat as well. Yamamura was recently selected to the Capital One Academic All-District women’s at-large first team. The honorees are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America and Yamamura is now eligible to be named an Academic All-American.

She holds a 3.96 grade-point average as a neurobiology, physiology and behavior major. Yamamura had already been named to the MPSF All-Academic squad in April before the Capital One list came out.

She was sidelined by injuries during her sophomore year but she came back with a vengeance this year. Head Coach John Lavallee has enjoyed having Yamamura back on the mat this season.

“Yami [Yamamura] has been an anchor performer for us,” Lavallee said.

To top off a nearly perfect season and GPA, Yamamura received the W.P. Lindley Award after being named UC Davis’ most outstanding scholar-athlete in 2012.

She was honored last Saturday during the Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame and Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony.

For now, Yamamura can enjoy some much-needed physical and mental rest, as the Aggies will be back to the grind soon enough. UC Davis gymnastics is building quite a legacy in the MSPF thanks to gymnasts like Yamamura and will look to continue its reign next year.

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