BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – A record five members of head coach Kelsey Kyle's West Liberty University acrobatics & tumbling team earned All-Mountain East Conference honors on Thursday as the MEC coaches released the 2023 All-Conference honor roll.
Hilltopper senior Abbey Swinderman was joined by the sophomore duo of Kayla Gandy and Gillian Hartz on the first-team All-MEC unit with sophomore Abbey Horvath and graduate student Paige McGlothlin earning second-team laurels. The five All-MEC selections are a program high.
Horvath, McGlothlin and Swinderman are repeat honorees. Horvath was the 2022 MEC Freshman of the Year while Swinderman was a two-time All-MEC selection at Glenville State before transferring to WLU over the summer. This marks the second consecutive All-MEC honor for McGlothlin.
Swinderman, a senior mid and base from Beaver Falls, Pa. and Blackhawk High School, was a key performer in multiple events for the Black and Gold this spring. A mid for all pyramid heats, she also based for Compulsory Acro, 5-Element Acro and the Toss Event while also participating in the Team Event as a tumbler.
Gandy, a sophomore top and tumbler from Washington, Pa. and Trinity High School, emerged as one of the top performers in the MEC this spring. She served as a top for every Compulsory, Acro, Pyramid and Toss Events that she competed in, helping set a school-record 9.85 in the Compulsory Pyramid during a win at Notre Dame. An MEC Athlete of the Week selection, Gandy's abilities fueled higher start values in multiple events, including a new Aerial Pass in Tumbling that she just brought to the mat.
Hartz, a sophomore top, tumbler and base from Duquesne, Pa. and West Mifflin High School, competed at a high level throughout the season as one of the most versatile Hilltoppers. She competed in all three individual Tumbling Event passes, setting a school record in her first attempt at the 6-Element Pass. In addition, she served as a top and/or base in multiple heats for Acro, Pyramid and Toss.
Horvath, a sophomore base from Wellsburg, W.Va. and Brooke High School, was one of the busiest Hilltoppers this spring. A strong base in Compulsory Acro along with the 6- and 7-Element Acro heats, she is a "lifter" for all of the pyramid heats she competes in and also backs multiple tosses. While she doesn't compete in the Tumbling Event, she contributes as a tumbler in the Team Event and is regarded as the strongest student-athlete on the team.
McGlothlin, a graduate student base and tumbler from St. Clairsville, Ohio and St. Clairsville High School, had a major impact when she decided to return for her final season of eligibility. A strong base for Compulsory Acro and the 6-Element Acro heat, she serves as a "lifter" for every pyramid heat, is a front for tosses and contributes as a tumbler. The repeat All-MEC selection helped set school records in Compulsory Pyramid and the Tumbling Event's Quad Pass heat.
Frostburg State junior Abbie Baker was voted MEC Athlete of the Year and Bobcat teammate Isabella Mongelluzzo won MEC Freshman of the Year honors. Fairmont State senior Payton Barnes was chosen as the MEC Specialist of the Year while Frostburg State's Katie Nunley repeated as MEC Coach of the Year after leading the Bobcats to an unbeaten conference record and No. 6 national ranking.
The Hilltoppers received the No. 3 seed for this weekend's MEC Championships at Frostburg State. They will kick off tournament action Friday at 5 p.m. when they take on No. 2 seed and defending tournament champion Fairmont State in the first semifinal. The host Bobcats meet No. 4 seed Glenville State in the other semifinal, set for a 7:30 p.m. start.
Saturday's tournament schedule starts at 11 a.m. with the Individual Event Finals with the MEC Tournament championship match set for Saturday at 3 p.m.
ACROBATICS & TUMBLING
2023 All-Mountain East Conference Team
MEC Athlete of the Year: Abbie Baker (Frostburg State)
MEC Specialist of the Year: Peyton Barnes (Fairmont State)
MEC Freshman of the Year: Isabella Mongelluzzo (Frostburg State)
MEC Coach of the Year: Katie Nunley (Frostburg State)
FIRST TEAM
Student-Athlete Team Position Class
Abbie Baker Frostburg State Top/Tumbler Jr.
Emily Brock Fairmont State Base/Tumbler Jr.
Brionni Dowson Fairmont State Base/Tumbler Gr.
Savannah Duckworth Glenville State Top/Tumbler Fr.
KAYLA GANDY WEST LIBERTY TOP/TUMBLER SO.
Madisyn Hahn Glenville State Top/Tumbler So.
GILLIAN HARTZ WEST LIBERTY TOP/BASE/TUMBLER SO.
Katey Koehl Fairmont State Top/Tumbler Jr.
Navah Marierose Frostburg State Base/Tumbler Jr.
Isabella Mongelluzzo Frostburg State Base/Tumbler Fr.
Laiken Spahr Frostburg State Base/Tumbler Jr.
ABBEY SWINDERMAN WEST LIBERTY BASE SR.
SECOND TEAM
Student-Athlete Team Position Class
Peyton Barnes Fairmont State Base Sr.
Mackenzie Bathe Glenville State Base/Tumbler So.
Kaitlin Bolton Frostburg State Base/Tumbler Jr.
ABBEY HORVATH WEST LIBERTY BASE SO.
Ashton Lowe Glenville State Base Sr.
Abigail McDermott Glenville State Base/Tumbler So.
PAIGE MCGLOTHLIN WEST LIBERTY BASE/TUMBLER GR.
Izaria McWhorter-Martin Fairmont State Base/Tumbler So.
Taylor Openlander Fairmont State Top/Tumbler So.
Katlyn Smith Notre Dame Base/Tumbler Fr.
