April 11, 2007

Stanford gymnast Peter Derman (Dallas, Texas) was named as a Nissen-Emery Award finalist, an honor presented to the nation's outstanding senior male collegiate gymnast each year. The winner will be announced at the NCAA/CGA banquet April 11 in University Park, PA, which marks the start of the NCAA Championship weekend. Derman is one of eight finalists and is looking to be the fourth Cardinal to win the award.

Since 1966, college gymnastics' highest honor, the Nissen Award, has been presented annually to the year's outstanding senior collegiate gymnast. The Nissen-Emery Award not only honors the collegiate 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 the following requirements, he must be an example of good sportsmanship and fair play; a champion in defeat as well as victory. He must maintain a high standard of scholarship throughout his college career.

So far this season, Derman has excelled on the still rings, posting an average score of 9.12. His leadership and confidence make him a valuable member of the fourth ranked Cardinal as they compete for their fourth national title. In 2006, he earned All-American honors by finishing third on the still rings at the NCAA Individual Event Finals with a mark of 9.512, while also helped Stanford to a third-place finish at the NCAA Team Final by placing fourth on the still rings with a score of 9.475. As a sophomore in 2005, Derman took seventh place at the MPSF Championships with a 9.0 as Stanford's top finisher on the parallel bars, while also recorded five more marks of 9.55 or better on the still rings throughout the season, including a 9.6 to win the event at Air Force. In 2004, he opened his collegiate career with a still rings event title at the Whitfield Invitational. At the NCAA Individual event finals he recorded a score of 9.562 to finish fourth on the still rings and earn All-American honors.

Not only does Derman excel in the gym, he also shines in the classroom as a biology major. He has been honored as an MPSF Academic All-Conference member in 2005 and 2006, as well as being named a 2005 CGA All-America Scholar-Athlete. His continued success in both areas make Peter Derman a prime candidate for the Nissen-Emery Award.

Previous Winners
2006 Justin Spring, University of Illinois
2005 Guillermo Alvarez, University of Minnesota
2004 Dan Gill, Stanford University
2003 Daniel Furney, Oklahoma
2002 Justin Toman, Michigan
2001 Jamie Natalie, Ohio State
2000 Jeff LaVallee, Massachusetts
1999 Todd Bishop, Oklahoma
1998 Dan Fink, Oklahoma
1997 Blaine Wilson, Ohio State
1996 Darren Elg, Brigham Young
1995 Josh Stein, Stanford University
1994 Kip Simons, Ohio State
1993 John Roethlisberger, Minnesota
1992 Scott Keswick, UCLA
1991 Jarrod Hanks, Oklahoma
1990 Mike Racanelli, Ohio State
1989 David Zeddies, Illinois
1988 Tom Schlesinger, Nebraska
1987 Michael "Spider" Maxwell, Penn State
1986 Wes Suter, Nebraska
1985 Matt Arnot, New Mexico
1984 Roy Palassou, San Jose State
1983 Pete Vidmar, UCLA
1982 Jim Hartung, Nebraska
1981 Bart Conner, Oklahoma
1980 Mario McCutcheon, Southern Connecticut State
1979 Kurt Thomas, Indiana State
1978 Tim LaFleur, Minnesota
1977 Peter Kormann, Southern Connecticut State
1976 Gene Whelan, Penn State
1975 Jay Whelan, Southern Connecticut State
1974 Steve Hug, Stanford University
1973 John Crosby, Southern Connecticut State
1972 Tom Lindner, Southern Illinois
1971 Brent Simmons, Iowa State
1970 Peter DiFurio, Temple
1969 Robert Emery, Penn State
1968 Dave Thor, Michigan State
1967 Steve Cohen, Penn State
1966 James Curzi, Michigan State