Gymnastics: Morris Named EAGL Outstanding Senior
March 20, 2009 10:10 PM | General
March 20, 2009
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| Mehgan Morris |
RALEIGH, N.C. – West Virginia University gymnast Mehgan Morris was named Outstanding Senior Gymnast Friday evening at the East Atlantic Gymnastic League (EAGL) Championship banquet at Vaughn Towers in Raleigh, N.C.
Additionally, nine Mountaineers earned a collective 17 All-EAGL honors, a program-best mark.
Morris is the sixth Mountaineer to earn the conference honor. All-American Janáe Cox was the last to do so in 2007.
“I’m really honored to receive this award,” Morris says. “I really wanted to have a strong senior season, and earning this honor proves to me that I accomplished that mission.
“There are still plenty of goals I want to reach before the season is over, but this is a nice confidence boost heading into tomorrow’s championship.”
A Belle, W.Va., native, Morris earned First Team All-EAGL honors on the uneven bars, the floor exercise and the all-around. She was named to the balance beam second team. The bars award is Morris’ fourth consecutive, while her floor and all-around honors are her second straight. Heading into tomorrow’s championship, she ranks first in the league in each event.
Morris has excelled in her senior season, earning or matching career-best scores on the vault (9.85), the beam (9.85), the floor (9.950) and the all-around (39.500).
A four-time 2009 EAGL Gymnast of the Week, Morris bookends her career with major conference honors, as she was named the 2006 EAGL Rookie of the Year. Through 49 career meets, she holds 1,506.50 points and ranks 14th on the WVU Career Points List.
Sophomore Amy Bieski matches Morris’ four all-league honors, as she was named to the vault, floor and all-around first teams; the floor and all-around honors are the second in two years for the Nanticoke, Pa., native. Bieski also earned second team bars honors for the second-straight year.
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| Naja Johnson |
Bieski’s classmate, Naja Johnson, and junior Kiersten Spoerke also earned multiple all-league honors. Johnson, an Austell, Ga., native, was named to the bars first team and the floor second team, while Spoerke, a Suwanee, Ga., native, was named to the beam and floor first teams. The awards are the first of Johnson’s young career. Spoerke was previously named to the beam second team in 2008.
Junior Chelsi Tabor makes a repeat appearance on the First Team All-EAGL vault squad, her second career honor. Classmate Shelly Purkat, previously honored on the floor second team last year, was named to the beam second team.
Three Mountaineers earned their first conference honors tonight. Freshman Nicole Roach was named to the First Team All-EAGL bars squad, while sophomore Emily Kerwin and freshman Tina Maloney earned second team vault honors.
The 17 league honors is unmatched in Mountaineer history. Additionally, the 11 First Team honors matches a program-best mark previously achieved by the 1998 squad; that WVU team won the program’s third-straight EAGL Championship.
North Carolina junior Christine Nguyen earned her second consecutive EAGL Gymnast of the Year award, while Pitt’s Alicia Talucci was named the EAGL Rookie of the Year. NC State’s Ashley Shepard earned the EAGL Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor.
Fans can follow the Mountaineers in action this weekend, as live stats will be available HERE, and free live streaming will be available HERE.
