March 24, 2001

NCGA CROWNS FOUR NEW INDIVIDUAL EVENT CHAMPIONS

MENOMONIE - The National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) crowned four new individual champions in the final day of the Championships at UW-Stout in Menomonie, Wis., Saturday, March 24.

Molly Nemes of Gustavus Adolphus College overcame problems with the start of her music to win the floor exercise with a two day score of 18.875. Nemes edged out UW-La Crosse's Becky McDonnell, who was the floor champion in 1998 and 1999, and Sabrina Ashton of UW-Oshkosh, the defending floor champion. McDonnell finished with an 18.850 and Ashton an 18.650.

All-around champion Melissa Stanton of Hamline University won the uneven bars in commanding fashion, scoring the highest score both days to tally a 19.025. Sonja Ellefson of the Massachussets Institute of Technology was second (18.175) - her second consecutive runner-up on the bars - and Michelle Saxton of UW-La Crosse was third (18.125).

Angela Erato of UW-La Crosse won the balance beam, scoring a 19.200. SUNY-Cortland captured second and third on the beam with Kristan Turner, second (19.075) and Trisha Zappala third (19.050).

Melissa Cummins of UW-Oshkosh won the vault on the strength of her first day vault. Cummins came in as the top qualifier with score of 9.325. She scored a 9.425 in the finals, and held off McDonnell, who had the highest vault score of the afternoon, a 9.475. Cummins finished with an 18.750, and McDonnell had an 18.725. Sajdah Ahmad of Rhode Island College was third (18.525).

The top six individual finishers are named NCGA All-America.

Sonja Ellefson of MIT was named the Senior Scholar-Athlete and Barb Gibson of team champion UW-La Crosse was named the coach of the year, the second time she was honored. She first won the award in 1989.

Senior Scholar-Athlete
Sonja Ellefson - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Coach of the Year
Barb Gibson - UW-La Crosse

Vault

Name	School	Day 1	Day 2	Final
1.Melissa Cummins*	UW-Oshkosh	9.325	9.425	18.750
2.Becky McDonnell*	UW-La Crosse	9.250	9.475	18.725
3.Sajdah Ahmad*	Rhode Island	9.275	9.250	18.525
4.Sonja Ellefson*	MIT	9.250	9.225	18.475
5.Kristen Reed*	Ursinus College	9.225	9.225	18.450
5.Tasha Pasch*	UW-Stout	9.275	9.175	18.450
7.Nikki Dustman	Wilson College	9.150	9.20	18.350
8.Jordann Ojampa	UW-La Crosse	9.275	9.050	18.325
9.Jessica Bowman	SUNY-Brockport	9.125	9.150	18.275
10.Melissa Stanton	Hamline University	9.100	9.150	18.250
11.Leah Gehr	UW-Oshkosh	9.275	8.925	18.200
12. Angie Garin	UW-River Falls	9.100	9.475	18.175

Uneven Bars

Name	School	Day 1	Day 2	Final
1.Melissa Stanton*	Hamline University	9.450	9.575	19.025
2. Sonja Ellefson*	MIT	8.900	9.275	18.175
3.Michelle Saxton*	UW-La Crosse	9.175	8.950	18.125
4.Molly Nemes*	Gustavus Adolphus	9.125	8.975	18.100
5.Katie Hanson*	UW-Stout	9.075	9.000	18.075
6.Melanie Poach*	Gustavus Adolphus	8.875	8.950	17.825
7.Sajdah Ahmad	Rhode Island	8.875	8.925	17.800
8.Jumaah Johnson	Ursinus College	9.300	8.475	17.775
9.Jenny Moore	UW-La Crosse	9.100	8.625	17.725
10.Angie Garin	UW-River Falls	8.850	8.700	17.550
11.Maria Reiser	UW-Oshkosh	9.025	8.250	17.275
12.Kristan Turner	SUNY-Cortland	8.850	8.350	17.200

Balance Beam

Name	School	Day 1	Day 2	Final
1. Angela Erato*	UW-La Crosse	9.575	9.625	19.200
2. Kristan Turner*	SUNY-Cortland	9.55	9.525	19.075
3. Trisha Zappala*	SUNY-Cortland	9.575	9.475	19.050
4. Carol Shekar*	UW-La Crosse	9.60	9.400	19.000
5. Christina Ng*	Ursinus College	9.725	9.200	18.925
6. Melissa Stanton*	Hamline University	9.50	9.375	18.875
7. Sarah Reeb	UW-Oshkosh	9.50	9.350	18.850
8. Danin Squires	SUNY-Cortland	9.45	9.200	18.650
9. Rachel Edelson	Ithaca College	9.30	9.300	18.600
10. Leslie Stewart	UW-La Crosse	9.40	9.000	18.400
11. Melissa Cummins	UW-Oshkosh	9.275	9.050	18.325
12. Kristy Arquette	UW-Oshkosh	9.425	8.750	18.175

Floor Exercise

Name	School	Day 1	Day 2	Final
1. Molly Nemes*	Gustavus Adolphus	9.525	9.350	18.875
2. Becky McDonnell*	UW-La Crosse	9.50	9.350	18.850
3. Sabrina Ashton*	UW-Oshkosh	9.35	9.300	18.650
4. Linsey Hamilton*	Hamline University	9.35	9.225	18.575
5. Shanna Larocque*	Springfield College	9.30	9.250	18.550
6. Brenna Jones*	UW-Stout	9.325	9.175	18.500
7. Jenny Moore	UW-La Crosse	9.30	9.150	18.450
8. Angela Erato	UW-La Crosse	9.25	9.100	18.350
9. Jumaah Johnson	Ursinus College	9.225	9.050	18.275
10. Kristan Turner	SUNY-Cortland	9.425	8.825	18.250
10. Trisha Zappala	SUNY-Cortland	9.225	8.925	18.250
10. Tricia Clark	UW-La Crosse	9.35	8.900	18.250

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