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NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY GYMNASTICS

*WPIAL CHAMPIONS*

*SECTION CO-CHAMPIONS*

File Photo by Al Durick

LADY TIGERS TAKE TITLE, ROCCA WINS INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND

The Lady Tigers dominated the WPIAL Championships at Moon Middle School on Saturday as they won their third title in four years.  Junior Vanessa Rocca captured her second all-around championship in three years as she edged sophomore teammate Shannon McConnell.  Junior Katie Maranuk, who took the crown last year, finished in fourth place.

It was a satisfying victory for the Lady Tigers, who were plagued by injuries last season and finished in sixth place.  NA scored 145.25 points to win over second-place Baldwin by over nine points.  NA was dominant in all four apparatus finals, winning four individual golds.  The victory kept alive the winning gymnastics tradition at NA by capturing their 17th title in 22 years.

For Rocca, winning the all-around marked the successful conclusion of a year's worth of therapy.  The Tiger junior missed almost all of last year with a broken back.  The individual competition was marked by the battle between Rocca and McConnell for first place.  McConnell won the vault, but Rocca took first on the bars.  After McConnell took first by a narrow margin on the balance beam, it all came down to the floor exercise.  McConnell went first and posted a 9.30.  Two gymnasts later, it was Rocca's turn.  Here is Tribune-Review reporter John Grupp's description of the routine:

"Dancing to the Nouveau Flamenco tune, Mysterioso, Rocca was nearly flawless.  She hit a round-off, half-handspring, one-and-a-half twist in the opening pass and double back-handspring into a full twist on her final pass.  The crowd was impressed and so were the judges, who awarded an eventual winning score of 9.35."  

Rocca finished first, McConnell second, and Maranuk fourth to lead the Lady Tigers to victory and the WPIAL championship.

A summary of the individual titles showed McConnell first in the vault with a 9.55 and Rocca second at 9.35.  Junior Lauren Spence took the bronze with a 9.30.  On bars, it was Rocca first with a 9.45 while McConnell was fifth with a 9.05.  McConnell won the gold on the balance beam with a score of 9.65, the highest individual score of the competition.  Rocca came in second with a 9.5.  The scoring on floor had Rocca with a 9.35, McConnell second with a 9.30 and Maranuk winning the bronze.

Competing in the Intermediate - II Division, sophomore Amy Yatsko won the silver medal in all-around with a score of 33.45.  Yatsko also took silver medals in three events, bars, beam and floor.

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH FAILLA AND THE LADY TIGERS!!!!!

MEET SUMMARY
WPIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Moon Middle School
Saturday, February 7, 2004

TEAM SCORES

INDIVIDUAL SCORES (NA only)

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LADY TIGERS CRUSH BALDWIN, FOX CHAPEL

Posting their highest score of the year, the Lady Tigers avenged an earlier loss to Baldwin as they defeated the Highlanders and Fox Chapel on Senior Night at Rising Star Gymnastics on Wednesday night.  NA totaled 147.85 to Baldwin's 134.0 and Fox Chapel's 118.75.  With the win, the Lady Tigers finished with a 10-2 mark for the season.

Sophomore Shannon McConnell had an outstanding meet to lead NA to victory.  McConnell posted an all-around score of 38.95 with junior Vanessa Rocca recording a 36.9 and junior Katie Maranuk totaling a 36.6.  McConnell had an almost perfect 9.95 on the bars,  a 9.7 on both vault and beam, and a 9.6 on floor.  Rocca added a 9.75 on bars, a 9.4 on vault, and a 9.0 on balance beam.  Maranuk was good for a 9.45 on vault, a 9.35 n bars, and a 9.35 on floor.  Junior Lauren Spence posted a 9.35 on vault as the Lady Tigers dominated the meet.

Next up for the Lady Tigers is the WPIAL Championship meet on Saturday at Moon Middle School.  We will have complete results of the meet when they are available.  Good luck to the Lady Tigers!

MEET SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 147.85  BALDWIN - 134.0  FOX CHAPEL - 118.75

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CENTER, HOPEWELL FALL TO NA

The Lady Tigers defeated both Center and Hopewell at Monaca Turners on Monday night.  NA scored 138.0 to 130.0 for Center and 118.65 for Hopewell.  The two wins improved the NA record to 10-2 on the season.  

Sophomore Shannon McConnell led the Lady Tigers with a 36.3 overall score with sophomore Amy Yatsko adding a 32.05.  Eleven gymnasts scored for NA as they dominated the meet.

Junior Vanessa Rocca had the high individual score of the night with a 9.55 on balance beam with McConnell adding a 9.35 and junior Lauren Spence recording a 9.0.  McConnell led the Lady Tigers on bars with a 9.45 while Rocca had a 9.35 and junior Katie Maranuk a 9.0.  McConnell recorded a 9.15 on floor as NA posted seven scores of 9.0 or better during the meet. 

NA will return home on Wednesday night when they host Baldwin and Fox Chapel at Rising Star Gymnastics on Senior Night.  The meet will be taped by NATV for showing at a future date.  Starting time is set for 7:00 pm.  The WPIAL Championship will be held at Moon on Saturday

MEET SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 138.0  CENTER - 130.0  HOPEWELL - 118.65

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MONTOUR FALLS TO LADY TIGERS, 130.70-126.10

The Lady Tigers traveled to Montour on Thursday evening and came home with a 130.70-126.10 victory over the Spartans.  The win improved the NA record to 8-2 for the season.  

NA used its team depth to win at Montour.  Junior Vanessa Rocca scored a 9.3 on the bars and and a 9.4 on beam to pace the Lady Tigers.  Sophomore Shannon McConnell posted a 9.1 on bars and a 9.05 on floor.  Because McConnell and juniors Katie Maranuk and Lauren Spence had to leave for other obligations, the remainder of the squad had to pick it up.

Sophomores Amy Yatsko and Brittney Kelly were the only NA gymnasts to compete in all four events.  Senior Amanda McCoy and junior Simone Hollweck gave NA points in three events with senior Brady Bennardo stepping in on the beam and floor.

The Lady Tigers will be back in action next Monday when they travel to Center for a tri-meet with Center and Hopewell.  Meet time is scheduled for 6:30 pm.

MEET SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY 130.70-126.10

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WPIAL GYMNASTICS - 2003-04

The Lady Tigers will compete again in the WPIAL against seven other teams.  The WPIAL individual championships will be held on February 7, 2004, at Moon Middle School.  The individual championship is open to all competitors who have achieved the qualifying scores as posted on the WPIAL website.  All individual qualifying scores for members of teams entered in the WPIAL program must be earned in a regular scheduled meet in which their team competes.  No team member can compete as an individual at another school for a qualifying score.

Students who participate as an individual or as a member of a team in a gymnastic program other than that of her school while she is participating for the school team shall be ineligible to take part in the WPIAL or PIAA championship events unless she has been in uniform for at least 75 percent of the contests beginning with the team's first interscholastic contest of the regular season.

In all dual meets a team may enter five competitors for each event, but only the scores of four of them can count toward the final score of the meet.

1.  Dual meets with one competition event at a time, alternating competition style will be used, with one exhibition routine per team per event being permitted.
2.  Dual meets with two competitive events running simultaneously, block style competition will be used, with up to five exhibition routines per team per event being permitted.
3.  Tri meets will have two competition events running simultaneously, block style competition will be used, with up to two exhibition routines per team per event being permitted.

GYMNASTICS ALIGNMENT - 8 TEAMS

Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at:  bbozzuto@northallegheny.org