SAN MARCOS, Texas, April 12, 2010 – The University of Rhode Island and Texas A&M University tied for first place in the women’s team competition at the 2010 National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC) National Championships at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, over the weekend. Pennsylvania State University won the men’s team competition. The NAIGC National Championships featured collegiate club gymnastics teams.
With scores of 145.975, the University of Rhode Island and Texas A&M tied for the women’s national NAIGC team title. Penn State was third in the team competition. Lindsay Diamond of the University of Rhode Island won the women’s all-around with a 37.850. The University of Texas’ Jennifer Grabowski tied with Elly Hart of James Madison University for the vault title (9.750) and was second in the all-around. Texas Tech University’s Lauren Smith won the uneven bar crown with a 9.750, as well as tied for second on balance beam and finished third in the all-around. Rachel Steele of Liberty University took first place on balance beam (9.600), and Texas A&M University’s Constance Cuadra won the title on floor exercise with a 9.850.
In the men’s competition, Penn State won the team finals with a score of 246.700. Only 0.6 of a point separated Texas A&M and the University of Texas for second and third, respectively, in the team finals. Eli Richardson of Texas A&M University won three titles – the all-around (84.200), pommel horse (14.900) and parallel bars (13.900) – along with ties for second on the horizontal bar and for third on both floor and still rings. Pennsylvania State University’s Dan Galiczynski finished first on floor exercise (14.400), as well as second on pommel horse. Jake Shapiro of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology earned top honors in the still rings (14.700). Bryce Cashell of Austin Community College took the vault crown (16.300). Penn State’s Andrew McClain won the horizontal bar title (13.300). Light Townsend of Texas was second in the all-around and tied for second on high bar. Brett Lazarus of MIT was third in the all-around, as well as second on the still rings and horizontal bar (tie).
The top eight women’s teams and six men’s teams, the winner of each session, along with the next two highest-scoring teams from all sessions, advanced to the finals. The top 23 female and the top 15 male all-around gymnasts and event gymnasts, three from each session plus the next five highest-scoring athletes from all sessions advanced to event finals.