Buchanan, Sisler and Howard Selected as 2016 Team Captains
11/04/2015 | Gymnastics
TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Arizona Gymnastics staff, along with Arizona Athletics administrators selected seniors Danielle Buchanan and Jessie Sisler, and junior Krysten Howard as the team's 2016 captains.
“We are very excited and proud to announce our three captains,” said head coach Tabitha Yim. “Danielle (Buchanan), Jessie (Sisler) and Krysten (Howards) each have a wealth of experience, and we feel they complement each other beautifully.”
This year, the GymCats introduced a new team captain selection process. Rather than being voted on by their teammates, athletes who were interested in being a team captain were asked to go through a professional application and interview process.
“A major priority for our staff outside of athletic and academic achievement is developing confident women leaders,” said Yim. “We want to provide our athletes with the requisite skills and tools to pursue passions outside of the gym and college with confidence. The team captain interviews were a perfect opportunity to equip our athletes with valuable life experience.”
Each of the candidates were required to submit a professional resume, cover letter and three letters of recommendation from individuals outside of the GymCat staff and team. After submitting these three items, the applicants were invited to participate in a formal interview with the GymCat staff and Arizona administrators.
“We got the idea at our team retreat from our guest speaker, Dr. Mike Lorenzen,” said Yim. “It is the first time our staff has used this process, and we felt like it was a big hit! The girls learned a lot from the experience, and it was a lot of fun too!”
As a redshirt senior, Buchanan is a natural leader in and out of the gym. In 2013 she was named All-Conference Academic Honorable Mention. She has also served as the coordinator for the team's community service, and continues that role again this year.
“I hope to be a captain that any one of my teammates can come to for anything,” said Buchanan. “I'm ready to bring positive (and humor-filled) energy to the gym each and every day and will motivate my teammates to be the best they can be! I also want to help my teammates have perspective to really enjoy this wonderful opportunity we have been given as Arizona GymCats.”
Sisler, the reigning Pac-12 Floor Champion, has demonstrated her strength, poise and reliability since her freshman year. Last season she was named the C.A.T.S Female Junior Athlete of the Year. She was placed on the Pac-12 Second All-Academic Team and earned Second Team All-Conference on the floor exercise. Sisler was also named a Scholastic All-American in 2014.
“It's really an honor to be selected as one of the team captains,” said Sisler. “I know how much thought and effort the staff puts into this program and all the details that come along with it. It means a lot that they trust me as one of the leaders for the team. I believe in their plan and value all the work they put into this program. I am so thankful for this opportunity and am excited for the upcoming year!”
Howard, a junior, is a lead motivator for the team. She is a natural competitor both in and out of the gym. Howard has strong competitive experience contributing in every meet since the beginning of her career at Arizona. She embraces every obstacle as a chance to improve as an individual, as a teammate and as a leader.
“I am honored and excited to have been chosen as a captain for my team,” said Howard. “I applied for this position because of the inspiring effort and passion I see from each of my teammates on a daily basis. I hope to contribute to the program by motivating my team and helping us achieve our goals.”
Fans will have an opportunity to catch the 2016 GymCats in action at the annual Meet the Team intrasquad meet on Friday, Dec. 6 in McKale Arena. Admission to the event is free.
Season tickets for the 2016 season are on sale now through the University of Arizona Ticket Office.
