Yvonne Benny Balance Beam Award (March 2000)
by Joan Geel
Since 1994 Nor Cal NAWGJ has given the Yvonne Benny Balance Beam Award
annually to honor the memory and service of Yvonne Benny. Yvonne was active in
judging in the Sacramento area. Balance Beam was Yvonne’s favorite event, and
she was known as the original “Beam Queen”. Yvonne passed away at the age of
57 of cancer.
The award is given at the Level 6 State Championships. There are no set
criteria for the award. Each year the balance beam judges set the criteria and
select the recipient. In the past gymnasts have been chosen for exhibiting some
of the following qualities: dynamic style, great amplitude on leaps and jumps,
outstanding toe point and footwork, artistic presentation, recovery from a fall
to complete a routine to the optimum level.
The award is a perpetual plaque that is engraved with the name of each year’s
winner and her club. Yvonne’s family keeps the plaque with a photograph album
containing a photograph of each recipient. The gymnast is given an individual
plaque.
Those of us who knew Yvonne cherish her memory. We admired her
professionalism, commitment, devotion to her family, and her love of the sport
of gymnastics. We miss her very much.
The 1999 Yvonne Benny Balance Beam Award recipient is Margot Cuero from
Michael Anthony’s. Congratulations Margot!
