No. 35 Gymnastics Heads to NCAA Baton Rouge Regional

Thursday, April 4

Baton Rouge, La.

4:00 PM

George Washington University

Lindenwood

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4/2/2019 10:13:00 AM | Gymnastics

Colonials to compete in first round on Thursday

Meet Notes

LEADING OFF: The No. 35 George Washington gymnastics team will make its fifth consecutive trip, and 15^th all-time appearance, at NCAA Regionals when it competes at the Baton Rouge Regional on Thursday, April 4 at 3 p.m. CT.

AT STAKE: The Colonials will go head-to-head with No. 36 Lindenwood in the first round on Thursday to compete for a spot in the second round against No. 3 LSU, No. 14 Auburn and No. 21 Arizona State the next day. The second round will consist of two sessions of four teams, with two teams advancing from each session to compete on the final day of competition, Super Regionals. Two teams from each Super Regional will move on to the NCAA National Championship.

Regardless of results in the first round, fifth-year co-captain Alex Zois and sophomore Hannah Cohen will represent the Buff and Blue in the second round as individual qualifiers. Zois earns a bid as an individual all-around competitor, while Cohen earns a spot competing on beam.

PEAK PERFORMANCE: GW was just edged by New Hampshire, 195.950-195.825, to finish second at the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Championships on March 23. The Colonials put together one of their best meets of the season, surpassing their season highs on both bars (49.075) and beam (49.000) while adding their third straight score above 49.000 on floor.

AT THE TOP: Zois finished atop the podium for the ninth time this season to claim the all-around title at EAGL Championships. The co-captain posted a dominant 39.400, which was .300 over the second place gymnast, behind a 9.825 on bars, a season-high matching 9.875 on beam and a 9.850 on floor. She also finished the day with First Team EAGL All-Tournament honors in every event including the all-around.

At the conclusion of the Championship meet, Zois was also named the EAGL Gymnast of the Year after topping the all-around league standings all season with her 39.335 NQS, 39.212 average, and 39.425 high. The Crofton, Md., native also ranks T-33^rd nationally in the all-around.

HANNAH STAYS HOT: Cohen earns a bid as an individual beam competitor after posting her 10^th straight score above a 9.800 on beam at EAGL Championships with a 9.850. The sophomore wrapped up the regular season ranked tied for second on beam in EAGL with her 9.855 NQS, earning a spot on the All-EAGL First Team.

YOUNG GUNS: GW's underclassmen, which account for 12 of 18 gymnasts on the team, have lifted the Colonials' lineups in 2019. Of those underclassmen, eight gymnasts have earned a spot on the podium (four first-years, four sophomores) for a combined 17 podium appearances. In addition, every sophomore gymnast that has seen action so far in 2019 has either matched or surpassed their career highs, including Cohen (9.850 UB, 9.875 BB), Rachel Kaplan (9.850 FX), Katya Karpova (9.850 BB, 9.875 FX), Chloe Vitoff (9.775 V), and Anna Warhol (9.825 V, 9.825 UB).

EAGL HONORS: A total of six GW gymnasts were selected to All-EAGL teams. Zois paced the squad with five First Team nods (vault, bars, beam, floor, all-around) and was the only gymnast in EAGL to earn First Team recognition on all four events plus the all-around. Cydney Crasa and Warhol picked up a pair of Second Team All-EAGL honors each, with Crasa earning a spot for her 9.795 NQS on vault and 9.830 NQS on floor, while Warhol picked up honors for her 9.775 NQS on vault and 9.785 NQS on bars. Simone Banen and Julia McLauglin picked up Second Team honors for bars and Cohen earned First Team recognition on beam.

BEST IN THE BUSINESS: Margie Foster-Cunningham, in her 34th season at the helm, earned her third straight, and fourth overall, EAGL Coach of the Year award last season. Assistant coach Stephanie Stoicovy Worrell, who was recognized as the EAGL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018, is in her fourth season and is joined by first-year assistant coach Chelsea Raineri. Both Stoicovy Worrell ('13) and Raineri ('17) are decorated GW gymnastics alumnae.

REGIONAL REWIND: GW posted a 195.425 to place fifth at last year's Raleigh Regional at NC State. Then-senior Cami Drouin-Allaire posted a 39.275 in the all-around to earn a ticket to the NCAA Championship as an individual qualifier for the third time in her career, becoming the only gymnast in program history to make three appearances at the NCAA Championship.