Six Pitt Gymnasts Selected to All-EAGL Teams

March 28, 2008

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.--Six University of Pittsburgh gymnasts were honored by the East Atlantic Gymnastics League as members of its All-League teams, it was announced Friday night at the conference's annual awards banquet at the Lakeview Resort in Morgantown, W. Va. Alix Croop and Sarah Thompson picked up first team All-EAGL accolades, while Dani Bryan, Molly Moyer, Samantha DeBone and Shannon Vafiadou earned second team plaudits.

A total of 42 gymnasts earned first team All-EAGL honors in 2008. Gymnasts with a top eight Regional Qualifying Score within the EAGL on each event and in the all-around qualified to the All-EAGL first teams. 2008 also marked the first time in Pitt's history that it had a second team honoree for each of the four events and the all-around.

Croop (Allentown, Pa./Bridgeway Academy) earned her first career first team honor on the uneven bars with a RQS of 9.707 during the 2007-08 campaign. She was also named the team's Most Valuable Player by the other members of the Pitt squad.

Thompson (Shokan, N.Y./Onteora) also captured her first career honor in just her first season of competition after sitting out last year due to an injury. She limited her mistakes on the balance beam and became a stable force in the Panthers' lineup, posting a top-eight average of 9.681 for the year in the event.

DeBone (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) earned recognition from the league for the fourth time in as many years at the annual banquet, as she collected second team honors on the beam and bars, giving her six career All-EAGL selections.

Bryan (Germantown, Md./Northwest) joined DeBone as a Panther who has been nominated and selected on multiple occasions when she was chosen to the All-EAGL second team on vault. Last season, she collected a first place honor on the vault and a second place mention for the floor exercise as a freshman.

Moyer (Telford, Pa./Homeschooled) and Vafiadou (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah), two of this year's freshmen, followed in Bryan's footsteps from last year and picked up second team nominations from the EAGL on Friday night. Moyer was rewarded for her stellar performances on floor this season, while Vafiadou landed a spot on the all-around team.

The eight EAGL schools will compete in the 2008 EAGL Championships Saturday hosted by West Virginia University. The competition is set for 4:00 p.m. in the WVU Coliseum.

Yearly EAGL Awards

Gymnast of the Year - Christine Nguygen (North Carolina)

Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Gretchen Kittelberger (Maryland)

Outstanding Senior Award - Leigha Hancock (NC State)

Rookie of the Year - Brittney Hardiman (NC State)

All-EAGL First Teams

VAULT

1. Brittney Hardiman NCSU 9.823

2. Chelsi Tabor WVU 9.811

3. Helena Diodati UNH 9.805

4t. Christine Nguyen UNC 9.797

4t. Kristen Simpson GWU 9.797

6. Kara Wright UNC 9.791

7. Justine Turner UNH 9.789

8. Leigha Hancock NCSU 9.761

UNEVEN BARS

1. Mehgan Morris WVU 9.836

2. Taylor Seaman NCSU 9.798

3. Kelsey Lee NCSU 9.777

4. Helena Diodati UNH 9.761

5. Christine Nguyen UNC 9.759

6. Erica Watson WVU 9.731

7. Allison Dama UMD 9.727

8t. Alix Croop PITT 9.707

8t. Brittney Hardiman NCSU 9.707

BALANCE BEAM

1. Christine Nguyen UNC 9.862

2. Leigha Hancock NCSU 9.786

3. Talia Tossone UMD 9.772

4. Taryn LaFontain UNH 9.743

5. Brandi George UMD 9.731

6t. Mehgan Morris WVU 9.709

6t. Kara Wright UNC 9.709

8. Sarah Thompson PITT 9.681

FLOOR EXERCISE

1. Leigha Hancock NCSU 9.816

2. Mehgan Morris WVU 9.798

3. Taylor Seaman NCSU 9.775

4. Kara Wright UNC 9.766

5. Amy Bieski WVU 9.764

6. Christine Nguyen UNC 9.756

7. Michele Brenner UMD 9.752

8. Leslie Delima GWU 9.728

ALL AROUND

1. Christine Nguyen UNC 39.175

2. Mehgan Morris WVU 38.940

3. Brittney Hardiman NCSU 38.830

4. Brandi George UMD 38.828

5. Kara Wright UNC 38.806

6. Karli Jones UNC 38.637

7. Heather Zolton NCSU 38.627

8t. Amy Bieski WVU 38.625

8t. Kelsey Lee NCSU 38.625

University of Pittsburgh Athletics

Six Pitt Gymnasts Selected to All-EAGL Teams

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Players Mentioned

Dani Bryan

Alix Croop

Samantha DeBone

Molly Moyer

Sarah Thompson

Shannon Vafiadou

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