The Nissen Award

Since 1966, college gymnastics' highest honor, the Nissen Award, has been presented annually to that year's outstanding senior collegiate gymnast. The Nissen Award does not only honor the collegiate senior gymnast who has established an outstanding record of achievement during his college career. More than simply an award for gymnastics excellence, the winner must also meet these requirements:

He must be an example of good sportsmanship and fair play...a champion in defeat as well as in victory.
He must maintain a high standard of scholarship through-out his college career.

College gymnastics coaches and accredited college gymnastics judges across the nation are requested each year to submit nominations for the award. Gymnasts receiving the highest number of nominations are then placed on a final ballot and voted upon by those same coaches and judges.

The award presentation is held annually at the College Gymnastics Association banquet at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships.

Bart Conner, Oklahoma's first Nissen Award winner, received the honor in 1981. Conner was a seven-time conference champion and nine-time All-American for the Sooners. He also won three national championships and was named co-recipient of the Big Eight Male-Athlete-of-the-Year award in 1981. Oklahoma also claimed back-to-back championships during that span, winning titles in 1978 and 1979. Conner was a member of the 1980 Olympic team and won two gold medals at the 1984 Olympic games held in Los Angeles.

Jarrod Hanks was the 1991 recipient of the Nissen Award. Hanks was a two-time conference champion and received All-America honors five times. He was team captain of the 1991 Sooner squad which won the national championship. Hanks currently serves as Oklahoma's assistant coach and is one of three Sooners to share the school record on the still rings.

Last year's recipient of the Nissen Award, Dan Fink, was Oklahoma's third honoree. He was a three-time conference champion and a four-time All-America selection. One of three Sooners to share the school record on the still rings, Fink won the national championship on the event last season. Fink also participated in the 1997 Maccabiah Games, an international, Olympic-style competition for Jewish athletes. He also served as co-captain of the 1998 Sooner squad. Fink made the President's Honor Roll seven semesters, the Dean's Honor Roll two semesters and was a nine-time Sooner Scholar. He was also honored with the Big 12 Conference Medal Award and was named OU's Outstanding Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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