March 20, 2000

PITTSBURGH - North Carolina State claimed its second-straight East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Championship Saturday night at Pittsburgh's Fitzgerald Field House. The Wolfpack scored a team total of 196.000 ahead of second-place Pittsburgh (195.275) and third-place Maryland (195.050). The championship field also included Towson (195.025), West Virginia (194.700), New Hampshire (194.55), North Carolina (194.475) and Rutgers (191.625).

It was an exciting conclusion to the end of a stellar season for all eight EAGL teams, with the top three places coming down to the final rotation. Maryland, which led the competition for most of the evening, struggled on balance beam with a 47.675, while Pittsburgh performed solidly on floor exercise for a 49.050 to edge out the Terrapins for second place. The Panthers were fueled by senior Lisa Fronhofer (Salem, N.Y.), who earned a score of 9.90 on floor to help clinch Pittsburgh's best finish in the five-year history of the EAGL.

NC State was led by Amy Langendorf (Gambrills, Md.) and Kara Charles (Overland Park, Ken.) who placed second (tied) and fourth in the all-around with scores of 39.275 and 38.975, respectively. Kelli Brown (Spruce Creek, Pa.) placed second on vault (9.850), while Jennifer Sommer (Bluffton, Ohio) tied for first on balance beam (9.850).

Towson junior Gabi Weller (Heuhlheim, Germany), the EAGL's Co-Gymnast of the Year, placed first on vault with a 9.925 and claimed the all-around title with a score of 39.300. Sophomore Kristen Macrie (Hammonton, N.J.) of West Virginia claimed the uneven bars title with a 9.950. First place on beam was a three-way tie between NC State's Sommer, Pittsburgh's Danielle "Freddie" Alba (Philadelphia, Pa.) and North Carolina's Erica Roberts (Plano, Texas), each scoring a 9.850. Maryland's Jill Fisher (Huntington, N.Y.), who ranked first in the country on floor coming into the meet, placed first on the event with an EAGL championship record score of 9.975.

Alba also shared second place honors in the all-around with Langendorf. Brook Wilson (Sumter, S.C.) Of North Carolina, who was named the league's Co-Gymnast of the Year along with Weller, placed second on floor with a 9.950 and third (tied) on vault with a 9.825.

Tarheel Head Coach Derrick Galvin was voted the 2000 EAGL Coach of the Year by his peers.

EAGL Meet Standings

                   1.   North Carolina State 196.000
                   2.   Pittsburgh           195.275
                   3.   Maryland             195.050
                   4.   Towson               195.025
                   5.   West Virginia        194.700
                   6.   New Hampshire        194.550
                   7.   North Carolina       194.475
                   8.   Rutgers              191.625