UW-L Wins NCGA Championship; Gibson Named NCGA Co-Coach of the Year

For Immediate Release: Friday, March 28, 2008

Cortland, N.Y. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse captured its 12th National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship Friday night in Corey Gymnasium in the Park Center at SUNY-Cortland. The Eagles finished with a team score of 189.050 while SUNY-Brockport placed second with a score of 188.425 and SUNY-Cortland was third at 188.375.

Ursinus College (Pa.) placed fourth (188.050) while UW-Whitewater was fifth (187.200) and Winona State University (Minn.) sixth (185.625).

It is UW-L's seventh national title in the last eight years and ninth in the last 12 seasons. The Eagles' 12 overall national crowns are the most in NCGA history.

Head coach Barb Gibson, who was named the 2008 NCGA Co-Coach of the Year along with Jeff Schepers of Ursinus College (Pa.), has led UW-L to all 12 of its national titles in her 23 seasons. She has also guided the Eagles to 16 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships.

UW-L set single-season highs on the vault (47.400), balance beam (47.600) and floor exercise (47.550) Friday night. The Eagles' team score of 189.050 was also a season-high.

Mackenzie Howard tied for 10th in the all-around Friday night (37.650) while Jackie LaFleur was 13th (37.000). The top-10 finishers in the all-around, plus ties, earn NCGA All-America honors.

The top-14 finishers in each individual event Friday, plus ties, advance to the individual finals Saturday, March 29. In the individual events scheduled for Saturday, the first through sixth-place finishers will be named first team All-Americans while the seventh through 12th-place finishers earn second team All-American honors. Individual scores from Friday do not carry over to Saturday's competition.

In Friday's action, Kasey Clausen finished first on the uneven parallel bars (9.725) and will compete in Saturday's finals. Clausen will also compete on the balance beam Saturday after finishing in a tie for 10th Friday (9.525). Howard was second on the beam (9.675) while LaFleur and Gabi Hooper tied for 12th (9.500).

LaFleur also tied for third on the vault (9.700) while Hooper was sixth (9.650).

For complete results from Friday night, click here.

Individual competition begins at 3:20 p.m. (Central Time) Saturday at SUNY-Cortland.