Ogwumike named to Wooden Award Midseason Top 20
Stanford women’s basketball’s junior forward Chiney Ogwumike was recognized for her strong performance so far this season yesterday when she was named to the John R. Wooden Midseason Top 20 list.
The Cypress, Tex., native leads her team on both points and rebounds with 22.0 and 11.9 per game, respectively. She has racked up 13 double-doubles so far this year, including in a run of ten-straight contests, and, back in November, after helping Stanford to a win over then-No. 1 Baylor, she was named espnW’s inaugural National Player of the Week.
Ogwumike joins Baylor’s senior post Brittney Griner, Notre Dame’s senior guard Skylar Diggins and Delaware’s senior guard/forward Elena Delle Donne on the list. Last year, all four received WBCA All American honors and Griner, Diggins and Delle Donne were also named to the Wooden All American Team.
No. 6 Stanford will look to tighten its grip on the top of the Pac-12 table this weekend with matches against Utah and Colorado. The Cardinal currently shares the top spot with archrival California.
Penev wins second-straight Gymnast of the Week honors
Five-time All American senior Eddie Penev was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week for the second straight time yesterday.
The Stanford athlete’s performance against No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 9 Nebraska and No. 10 California last weekend helped the No. 2 Cardinal to a quad-meet victory, opening its season with two straight wins.
His two second-placed finishes on floor exercise and parallel bars also brought him a second all-around title of the season, with an all-around score that puts him second in the country this season. He is also ranked second in the NCAA on floor and third on all-around.
Next up, Stanford will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face No. 3 Michigan this Saturday.
—Tom Taylor