EAGL Championship Session One

Recap

The Big Storyline: N.C. State put up a respectable number in the first session of the EAGL championship but was ultimately unable to hold onto the top spot, as Temple took the title in the second session. North Carolina counted a fall on bars for the first time this season and ultimately missed its chance to qualify to regionals. George Washington finished off its up-and-down season with a bang, recording a season high.

Postseason Implications: N.C. State solidified its spot in the top 28 and will be able to avoid the play-in round of regionals. North Carolina missed its shot to qualify to regionals as a team but will send Elizabeth Culton to regionals as an all arounder. George Washington’s Deja Chambliss put up a 9.850 on vault to give her a fourth score for NQS, making her a regionals qualifier on that event. Despite not being able to compete due to COVID related protocols and failing to hang on to the top 36, New Hampshire will send four gymnasts to regionals—Kylie Gorgenyi on vault and bars, Robyn Kelley on beam and floor and Alyssa Worthington and Hailey Lui on beam.

Records: In her final performance as a Colonial, Anna Warhol recorded a career high of 9.850.

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Emily Shepard (N.C. State)
• Event Specialist of the Year: Robyn Kelley (New Hampshire)
• Newcomer of the Year: Allison Zuhlke (Towson)
• Coach of the Year: Jay Ramirez (Towson)

Preview

• No. 27 N.C. State | 196.094 NQS | 196.900 season high
• No. 40 North Carolina | 195.575 NQS | 196.150 season high
• No. 49 George Washington | 194.481 NQS | 195.700 season high

*Note: New Hampshire withdrew from the meet due to COVID related protocols.

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one… Arguably the biggest EAGL title contender—N.C. State—is in this session. Coming off a huge 196.900 from last week, N.C. State is the favorite to win. However, the Wolfpack have yet to break 196 on the road. If the team still doesn’t put together a big road total, it will be vulnerable. North Carolina has been insanely consistent this year, only counting one fall across all of its events in 2021. All season, it seemed that the Tar Heels’ peak score was lower than that of the teams above them, but a 196.150 last week puts them back in the title conversation. If everyone else has a bad day, North Carolina might be a spoiler here.

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this… While George Washington is out of the regionals picture as a team, it has a couple of gymnasts who could contend for regionals on vault. The Colonials will head to that event in the first rotation. You don’t want to miss Kendall Whitman, who competes an eponymous vault—a front handspring onto the board to a front handspring pike half. Due to the Colonials’ limited meets this season, Deja Chambliss does not yet have enough scores for an NQS, but one more vault will do it. She has not scored below a 9.875, so another score in that ballpark will put her in contention for regionals. North Carolina’s Elizabeth Culton is currently ranked No. 5 in the country on beam—watch out for her in the fourth rotation.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on? N.C. State is pretty securely in the top 36, but a good score here could keep the Wolfpack from dropping out of the top 28 and into the play-in round. North Carolina is on the regionals bubble. At No.40, the Tar Heels are on the outside looking in, but another score like the 196.150 from last week could propel the Tar Heels into regionals contention. New Hampshire is currently ranked No. 35, so it’s possible the Wildcats can hold on to a regionals berth, but their withdrawal makes them more vulnerable to being passed by teams below.

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• N.C. State: 6 titles, last won in 2018
• North Carolina: 5 titles, last won in 2011
• New Hampshire: 3 titles, last won in 2019
• George Washington: 2 titles, last won in 2017
• Pittsburgh: 1 title, last won in 2016
• Towson, 0 titles
• Temple, 0 titles (joined in 2021)
• LIU, 0 titles (joined in 2021)

Records Watch

• Team: 196.750 (New Hampshire, 2003)
• Vault: 49.525 (West Virginia, 2004) 
• Bars: 49.325 (N.C. State, 2003)
• Beam: 49.325 (New Hampshire, 2003; N.C. State, 1998; Maryland, 1999)
• Floor: 49.575 (West Virginia, 2002)

Last Time Out

At the 2019 EAGL championship, New Hampshire pulled off an upset over N.C. State to take home the title. In 2020, New Hampshire and N.C. State were named EAGL regular season co-champions.

*Special thanks to Drew Porche for all of the Records Watch data provided in this preview.