GymDawgs Announce 2016 Signing Day Class
November 10, 2015 | Gymnastics
SEATTLE – UW gymnastics announced the addition of three gymnasts on National Signing Day, getting letters of intent from Madison Copiak (Calgary Alberta, Canada), Michaela Nelson (Montgomery Village, Md.) and Maya Washington (San Jose, Calif.).
“This is a very talented class and we expect all three of these gymnasts to come in and contribute right away,” UW head coach Joanne Bowers said. “All three come from great gyms with great coaches and have had tremendous success at the club and national levels. This is definitely a step in the right direction for our program and we are thrilled to welcome these three to Washington.”
Pictured from left, Madison Copiak, Michaela Nelson and Maya Washington signed national letters of intent and will join the GymDawgs in for the 2017 season.
Madison Copiak
Calgary Alberta, Canada
Calgary Gymnastics Centre
The daughter of Donna and Kenneth Copiak, Madison Copiak comes to the Huskies from Calgary Alberta, Canada, where she is a student at the National Sport School. She represented her country at the 2015 World Championships in Glascow, Scotland, and helped Canada to a sixth place finish. She has been a key member of the Canadian National Team in 2014 and 2015. That experience will play a key role as she transitions into collegiate gymnastics.
"Maddie is coming off a great showing at World Championships and hopefully, will get a chance to compete in the Olympics in Rio next summer,” UW head coach Joanne Bowers said. “She is used to competing on a big stage and has learned to handle the pressure well. She is strong on all four events and comes from a Calgary gym that has fantastic coaches. She should make an instant impact on our program next year."
Copiak competed for Calgary Gymnastics Centre under coaches David Kenwright and Janna Ball, who honed her into one of Canada's best gymnasts. She took part in the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, where she took seventh on bars and helped her team to a second-place finish overall. Copiak took fourth in the all-around at both the 2015 Canadian National Championships and 2015 International Gymnix Challenge Cup. Copiak's other major competitions include the 2015 Elite Canada (4th place all-around), the 2014 Senior Pan American Championships and the 2014 Elite Canada.
“Attending the University of Washington will provide me the opportunity to receive an exceptional education while competing in the sport I love,” Copiak said. “The choice to be a part of a team with an amazing group of girls, coaches and support staff is truly humbling. I can't wait to be a GymDawg.”
Michaela Nelson
Montgomery Village, Md.
Hills Gymnastics Training Center
Michaela Nelson comes to the Huskies from Montgomery Village, Md., where she trained at the Hills Gymnastics Training Center under coaches Kelli Hill, Cynthia Smaha and Tian Zhang. Her parents are Julia and Dean Nelson, and she was homeschooled at Nelson Prep Academy.
"Nellie comes from the same gym as Elise Ray, and we know they produce great gymnasts,” Bowers said. “She is a beautiful dancer, has nice lines and is a fierce competitor. We look forward to big things from her and can't wait to see her bring that competitive attitude to UW.”
Nelson took first in the 2015 NIT on beam and floor on her way to the all-around championship. In 2014, she was a Nastia Liukin Cup qualifier and was the Maryland all-around stats champion. She took first in the Region 8 Championship as well. In 2012, she became the first gymnast to win five gold medals at the Level 9 Eastern Nationals and finished the season undefeated.
"I chose the University of Washington not only for its fantastic athletics, but also for its outstanding academics,” Nelson said. “The coaches are amazing and the team has such a positive atmosphere. I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of such an incredible team."
Maya Washington
San Jose, Calif.
San Mateo Gymnastics
Maya Washington joins the Huskies from San Jose, Calif., where she has competed at San Mateo Gymnastics under coaches Armen Astoian, Oksana Bystrova and Brian Loomis. The daughter of Faith Mason and Roger Washington, Maya is a student at Archbishop Mitty High School.
"Maya is an incredibly powerful gymnast with high level skills on every event,” Bowers said. “She also comes from a good program and we expect her to help us raise our difficulty level on many events. She is a quiet leader with a great work ethic. Her academics are just as important to her as her gymnastics and she handles the challenges of both well."
Washington was a National qualifier in 2013, 2014 and 2015. She was a Nastia Lukin Cup qualifier in 2015, as well as the bars champion at the Region 1 Championships where she took fourth in the all-around. She was also the repeat California state champion in the all-around, as she won in 2014 as well. She has finished in the top four in the all-around for the past three years at the Region 1 Championships, her top finish coming in 2014 when she took second. She was the bars champion in 2015 and the vault champion in 2014.
"I chose Washington because I fell in love with the atmosphere there,” Washington said. “The girls on the team and the coaches are all so nice and truly care about my well-being, it feels like I am already on the team. I can't wait to go there and experience it first-hand. I think the team can help me improve my gymnastics and the school will certainly benefit my academics."
The 2016 signing class will compete starting in the 2017 season and will become part of the class of 2020.
Fans of the GymDawgs will get their first look the current Huskies at the annual Purple & Gold meet on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. PT. The event is free and open to all UW gymnastics fans, and will include a silent auction, a fifth event poster signing and a meet and greet with the team. The GymDawgs open their season on Saturday, Jan. 9 at home against Ohio State.
For more on UW gymnastics, follow the GymDawgs on Facebook, Twitter , Instagram at UWGymnastics and Snapchat at UW_Gymnastics.
