Female Athlete of the Year
CHANEY NEU
Champlin Park gymnastics
Why she won: Perfection. The 5-1 sophomore did something that had never been done in more than 40 years of state tournaments. In the Class 2A gymnastics individual championships, Neu scored a perfect 10 on her vault, a Yurchenko layout, the first time anyone has been awarded that score in a state tournament. The video of her vault went viral, bringing her national acclaim. She went on to win all four events at the meet and took home her third consecutive all-around championship.
What she said: Neu knew as soon as she stuck her landing that a perfect 10 was in reach. But she still couldn't believe it when the numbers appeared. "Senior year, I'll be striving for, I guess, getting another 10," she said. "I don't know, I'm just grateful that I got one because that doesn't happen very often."
