Feb. 24, 2008

PITTSBURGH -

The Pitt gymnastics team matched up against EAGL foe George Washington this afternoon in Washington, D.C. The Panthers (1-8, 1-2 EWL) came away with multiple top-five overall marks, but could not get past the Colonials and dropped their third consecutive meet by a count of 193.850-190.050.

Junior Anya Chayka (Germantown, Md./Richard Montgomery) claimed a share of the beam crown with a score of 9.800. The title marked Chayka's second of the season, as she also claimed first on beam against Rutgers. She was immediately followed by teammates Sarah Thompson (Shokan, N.Y./Onteora) and Samantha DeBone (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield), who came in third and fourth, respectively, with marks of 9.775 and 9.750.

On vault, Dani Bryan (Germantown, Md./Northwest) led the team with a mark of 9.825, upping her average score on the event to 9.671 this season. Shannon Vafiadou (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) grabbed a share of third place with a 9.800. Vafiadou was also the Panthers' only all-around competitor for the fifth consecutive contest and placed second with a career-high 38.000 points.

Pitt's top bars routine came from junior specialist Alix Croop (Allentown, Pa./Bridgeway Academy), who turned in a score of 9.725 to create a three-way tie for third place. Croop also posted the Panthers' best performance on the floor with a 9.675, which placed her fourth.

Pitt's next meet will take place on Saturday, March 1 at 7 p.m. when it hosts archrival West Virginia at Fitzgerald Field House.

For complete results from Washington, D.C., please visit the following link:

Pitt vs. George Washington Results