Leal-Restrepo Named EAGL Rookie of the Year
Mar 18 | Women's Gymnastics
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 18, 2011) – Rutgers freshman Luisa Leal-Restrepo (Cali, Colombia) was named the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Rookie of the Year to highlight four Scarlet Knights honored at the league’s annual awards banquet Friday evening.
Leal-Restrepo also took home First Team All-EAGL honors in the all-around, in the floor exercise, on the vault and Second Team All-EAGL accolades on the bars. Sophomore Danielle D’Elia (Colts Neck, N.J.) was a Second Team All-EAGL selection in the floor exercise, while fellow sophomore Jenna Zito (Rockaway, N.J.) was a Second Team All-EAGL pick in the all-around. Freshman Alexis Gunzelman (Tabernacle, N.J.) was honored as Rutgers’ EAGL Team MVP.
Leal-Restrepo is the first Scarlet Knight in school history to capture one of the league’s major competition awards. Former Scarlet Knight Beth Fittery was named EAGL Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2006.
“I am very proud of all our gymnasts,” said head gymnastics coach Chrystal Chollet-Norton. “Luisa achieved something that hasn’t been done yet at Rutgers and she is truly deserving of this honor. “I was very happy to see Danielle, Jenna and Alexis also get recognized. Our entire team has performed at a high level this season and I am looking forward to a great competition tomorrow.”
Leal-Restrepo leads the Scarlet Knights in the all-around with an average score of 38.713. She owns a team-best average score in the floor exercise (9.838), on the vault (9.793) and on the bars (9.583). She is also averaging a 9.432 on the balance beam. Her regional qualifying score of 9.880 in the floor exercise ranks 11th best nationally. She has posted a season-best score of 9.900 twice in the event. Earlier in the season, Leal-Restrepo tied the school-record with a score of 9.875 on the vault.
D’Elia, who is one of the Scarlet Knights’ top competitors on the bars, balance beam and in the floor exercise, was honored for her standout results in the floor. She is averaging a 9.795 in the event, which ranks second on the team. D’Elia, who is in her first season at Rutgers after transferring from Central Michigan in the off-season, owns a career-best score of 9.875 in the event twice this season. She has scored a 9.825 or higher in the floor exercise in each of her last six meets. The sophomore has captured several floor exercise titles in 2011 and owns a regional qualifying score of 9.840, which is tied for 57th nationally.
Zito is in her second season competing in the all-around for RU. She is averaging a score of 38.194. Her best event is the floor exercise where she is averaging a score of 9.731. Zito is also averaging a 9.617 on the vault, a 9.488 on the bars and a 9.356 on the balance beam. Her top score in the all-around this season came in February where she scored a 38.725 with season-best scores of 9.775 in the vault and on the balance beam in the meet. She scored a season-best 9.800 in the floor exercise twice this season in January.
Gunzelman has competed in the all-around in each of the last four meets with a career-best score of 38.900. She is averaging a 9.625 on the vault, a team-best 9.550 on the balance beam, a 9.532 in the floor exercise and a 9.425 on the bars.
The eight-team EAGL Championship will begin Saturday at 2 p.m. inside the Charles E. Smith Center on the George Washington University campus.
