Pitt finishes last at EAGLs

The combination of an unconventional lineup and untimely injuries meant a last-place finish… The combination of an unconventional lineup and untimely injuries meant a last-place finish for the Panthers at the 11th East Atlantic League Gymnastic League Conference Championships at Rutgers last Saturday.

North Carolina took first with a final score of 195.325, followed by N.C. State (195.075), West Virginia (194.900), New Hampshire (194.450), Maryland (194.175), George Washington (193.775), Rutgers (191.425) and Pitt in eighth at 190.225.

Head coach Debbie Yohman knows exactly what went wrong.

“One, we are not the same team as we were in January or February, because we are missing strong performers. Two, not all the kids we did have in the lineup stepped it up,” she said. “We have no excuses for those mistakes.”

First, the balance beam gave Pitt trouble. They had several falls and finished with a score of 46.425. Despite competing in just her second collegiate meet, freshman Andrea Konesky led the Panthers with a 9.425, while junior Jessica Garber recorded a 9.250 effort. The event title went to Maria Pena Trestini of New Hampshire, who scored a 9.925.

In the floor exercise, Pitt competed with only five gymnasts and finished with a 47.350. Another freshman stepped up for the team when Victoria McGuigan-Carl performed best on her team and tied her career high with an impressive 9.825 for seventh place. Garber was right behind her with a 9.800 to tie for second. Sophomore Nicole Drane was back in action and earned a 9.725 for 21st place. First place went to North Carolina’s Courtney Bumpers, the reigning national champion on the floor. She logged a 9.950.

On vault, Pitt was able to manage a score of 47.875. Freshman Anya Chayka pulled in the best score for the Panthers at 9.675, her second-highest vault score of the season. She finished in 26th place.

Sophomore Amanda Rushton achieved a 9.650 and senior April Pearson followed at 9.625. Sophomore Melissa Davidson also scored a career high with a 9.400. North Carolina State’s Leigha Hancock took the vault championship at 9.900.

The Panthers delivered their best performance of the night on the uneven bars. Pitt scored a 48.575 for a fourth-place finish among the teams. Junior Andrea Arlotta was back from a foot injury and earned a score of 9.800 for eighth place. Not only did this make Arlotta Pitt’s top performer of the evening, but it earned her a unanimous vote to the All-EAGL First Team for this event. DeBone, an All-EAGL Second Team selection, and freshman Alix Croop tied with a score of 9.725. North Carolina took first yet again with Christine Robella’s 9.900 effort.

In addition to Arlotta and DeBone, Pitt junior Robyn Marszalek was named to the All-EAGL Second Team on the floor exercise along with freshman Anya Chayka, who was named to Second Team on the balance beam. Marszalek was also named to the EAGL All-Academic team for the third year in a row. Gymnasts must have maintained a 3.0 GPA or higher to receive this honor.

“This means that they were voted among the best in the conference,” Yohman explained. “What is really sad about it was that Andrea and Robyn weren’t able to validate those selections because they weren’t able to compete due to their injuries. But it really is a great honor.”

Another result of all the injuries was Pitt’s decision not to compete any all-around gymnasts. North Carolina controlled the all-around with Bumpers in first at 39.525 and Robella in second with a 39.475 mark.

The Panthers’ next chance to compete could be the Northeast Regional meet, which will be hosted by Michigan on April 8.

“Hopefully we will get selected to compete. We have a heck of a lot of work to do if we want to get there and not look foolish,” Yohman said.