George Washington University Athletics
2002 Outlook
10/31/2001 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Oct. 31, 2001
After leading the Colonials gymnastics team to its fourth consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference championship and earning her third Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year award, head coach Margie Foster-Cunningham is setting her sights on a fifth consecutive title and the program's first bid to nationals. The Colonials seem poised to deliver, based on last year's results: nine letterwinners return from a team that finished the season ranked 17th in the country, established a school-record score of 196.000, boasts three Atlantic 10 All-Conference performers, set school record marks on beam and floor exercise, and had the 15th-ranked all-around gymnast in the country.
The Colonials are led by a quartet of seniors, which includes Kelley Banks, Jessica Mantak, Devin McCalla and Jamie McNally. Mantak, an Atlantic 10 All-Conference Team member in 2001, established a personal best of 39.275 in the all-around last year at West Virginia on March 4, which earned her Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week honors. McCalla, the 15th-ranked gymnast in the country last season, was crowned the Atlantic 10 champion on both beam and floor, and was named Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week a conference-record five times. McNally, also an Atlantic 10 All-Conference Team member, was crowned the Atlantic 10 champion on vault with a score of 9.80. Banks will continue to provide high marks on bars, beam and floor as she has done throughout her GW career.
Not only is Cunningham counting on her seniors to post high marks, she also will call upon their leadership skills. All four seniors serve as captains as they attempt to become the second class to win the Atlantic 10 Conference championship in each of their four years.
With fellow junior Kacey Coyne recovering from back surgery, the lone junior on this year's team is Melissa Suter. Suter will perform on bars this season as she battles an ankle injury that prevents her from competing on any other event. Suter scored a career high 9.825 at the NCAA Regionals on April 7 and will be one of GW's top performers on bars this year.
The sophomore class includes Lauren Bernstein, Rachel Mann, Theresa Miele and Lindsay Parks. Mann had an outstanding rookie campaign, including being named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week three times, while competing on vault and floor. This year, Mann also will compete on bars and could compete on beam as well. Parks was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on Feb. 19 after posting a career high on floor at the Towson Invitational. This year, she will continue to perform on floor and vault and "is hungry to be a star", according to Cunningham. Bernstein helped GW set a team record at Maryland with her score of 9.750 on beam. She will, once again, be one of the Colonials top performers in that event. Miele is focusing on bars this year and is a tremendous worker that drives others.
Jackie Jaworowicz, Amber Melvin, Stefanie Tocco and Meagan Wilson form a freshman class that will be asked to contribute right away. Melvin or Wilson, a 2001 Junior Olympic National Championships Qualifier, could be the third all-arounder on a team that lost 2001 Atlantic 10 Performer of the Year, Darden Wilee, to graduation. Jaworowicz was a 2001 Junior Olympic National Championships qualifier, a state champion on floor and a regional champion on beam. She should compete in both events. Tocco is in great shape and "could surprise," according to Cunningham. "The freshmen are ready to go," Cunningham said. "They have an attitude about them that says "We're here!"
The schedule is another challenging one this season, highlighted by the annual GW Invitational on January 19 at Smith Center. Entries include Cornell, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Temple and William & Mary. The Colonials also will have home meets against Maryland on February 13, James Madison on March 6 and Michigan State on March 9. The A-10 Championships will be held at Mackal Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Rhode Island on March 23.
It all adds up to what will be a young team, but one that Cunningham feels gives GW its best chance to qualify for Nationals in her 17 years at GW.
Players Mentioned
