University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Gymnastics Adds Two Recruits For 2006 Season
1/27/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Gymnastics Adds Two Recruits For 2006 Season
1/27/2005
PITTSBURGH?Pittsburgh head gymnastics coach Debbie Yohman has announced the signing of Anya Chayka and Alix Croop to National Letters of Intent. The student-athletes will attend Pittsburgh and compete for the Panthers, beginning in the 2006 season.
?We feel very fortunate to be getting these two fine recruits,? Yohman said. ?Both gymnasts should add a combined eight scores to our squad immediately ? they will make an impact right away.?
Chayka (Germantown, Md./Richard Montgomery) is a Russian native and placed third in the all-around at the Level 10 Maryland state meet in 2003 and fifth this past year. While competing in the 2004 Region 7 Championships, Chayka earned a 19th-place finish in the all-around. She competes for Hills Gymnastics Club in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and is coached by Jen Bundy, Kirk Morris and Amy Martilli. She is a two-time National Qualifier but couldn?t compete in the U.S. Junior Olympic Championships because she was not yet a citizen of the country.
?Anya brings a different dimension to the team,? Yohman said. ?She is a solid all-arounder with a strength, as we see it, on the balance beam. She?s a bit unknown because although she was a two-time National Qualifier, she was not a U.S. citizen at the time and therefore ineligible to compete at Junior Olympic Nationals. Anya also comes from a gym which produces top national talent so she has trained with some of the best.?
Croop (Allentown, Pa./Home School) is a Level 10 gymnast, competing for Parkettes Gymnastics in Allentown under Robin Netwall, and Bill and Donna Strauss. Croop finished second in the all-around at the Pennsylvania state championships and first at the Region 7 Championships in 2003. She qualified for the national championships and placed 18th in the all-around. This past year, Croop improved her all-around finish at nationals to eighth and also finished eighth on both the uneven bars and balance beam. She also was the bars champion and finished second in the all-around at the regional championships.
?Alix comes from one of the top training programs in the country and has been doing gymnastics almost all of her life,? Yohman said. ?She is used to training at the highest intensity levels and sets very high standards for her goals. It will be a pleasure to add her to our roster.?
