University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Gymnastics Takes Second At State Farm Insurance Cat Classic
2/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Gymnastics Takes Second At State Farm Insurance Cat Classic
2/7/2000
PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh gymnastics team competed in the State Farm Insurance Cat Classic Feb. 4-5 and placed second as a team behind host Missouri (193.80) with a season-high 192.775 points. Southeast Missouri State finished third (190.075) and Northern Illinois (188.475) fourth to round out the team competition Friday night.
Highlighting the evening was a balance beam performance by senior Pam Lieberman (Parkland, Fla./Stoneman Douglas) in which she scored a team season-high and personal best 9.90. Her high mark tied the Cat Classic beam record and was the second-best score in Pittsburgh history. Lieberman, along with fellow senior Danielle "Freddie" Alba (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) with a 9.825, helped lead the Panthers to a season-high team score of 48.475 on beam.
Other top performers included senior Samantha Salyers (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) who finished in a tie for first on the uneven bars with a 9.825. Senior co-captain Lisa Fronhofer (Salem, N.Y./Salem) earned a 9.850 on floor exercise and placed second (tied).
Alba also had three fourth-place finishes on vault (9.60), bars (9.775) and beam (9.80).
The top eight finishers in each event qualified for Saturday night's individual event finals. Pittsburgh qualified six gymnasts for the second evening's competition.
Salyers earned a second-place finish on bars with a 9.80 behind champion Shannon Brown of Missouri. Alba was close behind Salyers with a 9.75 and third place on bars. Freshman Heather Launse (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) competed on beam and placed third with a score of 9.625, while Lieberman finished fifth with a 9.50. On floor, Fronhofer earned a 9.85 for second place and freshman Nathalie Sulpher (Ottawa, Canada/Franco-Quest) was fifth with a 9.70.
Pittsburgh (4-2/1-0 EAGL) returns to action Saturday, Feb. 12, when the Panthers host Rutgers in an East Atlantic Gymnastics League matchup at Fitzgerald Field House (7 p.m.).
