| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
UTAH: 2008 Olympian is a contender for the NCAA all-around title ... three-time All-American ... first tumbling pass on floor is unique to college gymnastics... five career victories ... has hit 81-86 career routines.
2008-Competed for Germany in the Beijing Olympic Games ... performed all four events in team preliminaries and was Germany's high scorer on the floor ... placed fourth in the German National Championships in June ... two-time All-American at the NCAA Championships won second-team honors in the all-around and on floor ... 9.90 on bars during the Super Six was the third-best bar score of the meet ... career-best 39.475 all-around score at Michigan on Mar. 22 ... four wins ... hit 54-57 routines... won Utah's Coaches' Award as the Most Improved Gymnast ... named to the CoSIDA Academic all-District VIII at-large team ... NACGC Scholastic All-American and Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athlete.
2007: First-team All-American placed eighth on the uneven bars at the NCAA Championships ... overcame November knee surgery and a mid-season injury to both knees to compete on bars and beam at nationals ... on the opening day of the NCAA Championships, she scored a career-best 9.925 on bars - tying for first in the evening session - and a 9.80 on beam ... 9.85 on beam in the Super Six ... until injuring her knees in late March, she was a starter on three events (bars, beam and floor) ... hit 27-29 routines ... one victory... NACGC Scholastic All-American ... made the Dean's List and the Athletics Academic Honor Roll ... 4.0 GPA spring semester.
PRIOR TO UTAH: Two-time German national all-around champion (2005-06) ... also won national titles on vault and floor at the 2005 German National Championships, and placed first on bars at the 2006 national meet ... placed eighth in the all-around at the 2005 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia ... 20th all-around at the 2003 World Championships ... third on vault and bars, and fourth in the all-around at the 2003 German Championships ... trained at Turnteam Toyota Cologne for coach Shanna Poljakova ... graduated from Georg Buechner High School.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Christel and Christoph Bijak ... name is pronounced Darr-ee-a BEE-jhack (soft "j") ... one brother (Thomas) ... film studies major ... full name is Daria Eva Bijak ... born Nov. 12, 1985 in Poland.
Bijak's Career Highs
All-Around 39.475 vs. Michigan, Mar. 22, 2008 Vault 9.900 vs. UCLA, Feb. 24, 2008 Bars 9.925 at NCAA Championships, Apr. 26, 2007 Beam 9.925 vs. Utah State/SUU, Feb. 22, 2008 9.925 vs. Michigan, Feb. 24, 2008 Floor 9.900 vs. UCLA, Feb. 24, 2008
Catching Up with Daria
Age Started Gymnastics: Six
Nickname: Dari
Last Summer I: Competed in the Beijing Olympics for Germany
These Words Describe Me: Silly, sarcastic, determined
You May not Know: I speak three languages
I chose Utah because: I love this team
Favorite Book: Man and Boy
Favorite Food: Pasta, sushi
Favorite Gymnastics Skill: Double punch front on floor
Favorite Gymnast: Nastia Liukin
