Towson's ECAC Championship History

Past ECAC Champions | Towson All-ECAC Selections

Since 1987, Towson University has been the dominant team in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), winning 14 of a possible 16 championships.

The Tigers have been members of the ECAC for two different stretches. From 1987 until 1995, the Tigers competed in the ECAC and won eight championships in nine years.

Last year, the Tigers fell short of their goal of winning a seventh straight ECAC title. However, Coach Vicki Chliszczyk (below) was honored as the ECAC Coach of the Year and junior Avis Hixon was the ECAC Specialist of the Year. Senior Megan Wooden was named as the ECAC Scholar-Athlete for gymnastics and freshman Alexa Davis was selected as the ECAC Rookie of the Year.

In 2010, the Tigers won their sixth consecutive ECAC title and they had to come from behind to pull out the win. Senior Alise McDonald led the Tigers by winning the all-around and the vault.

The 2010 ECAC title sent Coach Dick Filbert and Assistant Coach Lynda Filbert into retirement with another ECAC championship.

In their first nine years of ECAC domination, the Tigers had 56 gymnasts earn All-ECAC notice. Eight gymnasts, including Lori Salindong, '90, Stephanie St. Angelo, '90, Carri Scott, '91, Tandy Knight, '91, Anne Sugden, '91, Julie Heilman, '92, Wendy Weaver, '92, Gabby Linarducci, '93, and Janine Spezio, '93 were members of ECAC championship teams four years in a row.

From 1987 to 1995, Towson had 20 individual ECAC champions. Salindong (1988), Knight (1989) and Linarducci (1991) were ECAC all-around champions.

Linarducci, the 1993 ECAC Gymnast of the Year, won the all-around and bars title in 1991, the beam title in 1992 and the floor title as a senior. In her career, Sugden was the ECAC bars champion twice (1988 and 1989) while sharing the beam title in 1991.

Salindong, Sugden and Weaver share the rare distinction of earning All-ECAC honors four times. Linarducci, Spezio, St. Angelo, Knight, Scott, Joy Rudy and Kim O'Keefe were named All-ECAC three times.

The Tigers' streak ended in 1994 when New Hampshire edged the Tigers for the championship.

In 1995, the Tigers won the title they had lost in 1994. Towson set a school and meet record with a 194.075 score, beating defending champion New Hampshire by nearly three points.

In their nine years as ECAC rivals, Towson won eight titles while UNH won one championship. Towson and UNH departed for the newly-formed East Atlantic Gymnastics League after the 1995 season.

In 2005, Towson University returned to the ECAC and celebrated its return by winning its ninth title. In a meet at James Madison University, the Tigers posted a 194.525 team score to edge Rhode Island for the title. Christina Ghani led the way by winning the all-around and finishing first on floor.

In 2006, the Tigers won their second title in a row by edging William & Mary for the championship. Led by Ghani and Jess Hannah, who were one-two in the all-around, the Tigers posted a 191.275 team score to nip the Tribe. Ghani also tied for first on vault.

In 2007, Decelia Willacy led Towson to a 193.650 team score by winning the all-around (38.85). Senior Stacie Hogan won the ECAC title on floor and Ghani took first place on vault.

With Gha ni, the two-time ECAC Gymnast of the Year on the sidelines with an injury, the Tigers used a team effort to win the 2008 title. Towson won the meet with a 193.950 score. Annukka Almenoksa led the Tigers to the title by winning the all-around (39.15). She also took first on beam (9.925), tying a school record. Alise McDonald won the ECAC vault championship with a 9.85 score.

Honored as the ECAC Gymnast of the Year prior to the meet, Willacy was fourth on vault (9.775), second on beam (9.875) and third in the all-around (38.975). Cristina Lindo and Willacy were named as All-ECAC picks for the fourth straight year. 

Since 1984, there have been 26 ECAC Championship Meets. Towson has won 13 titles while New Hampshire and William & Mary have won four each.

ECAC Champions
2011:   Cornell
2010:   Towson
2009:   Towson
2008:   Towson
2007:   Towson
2006:   Towson
2005:   Towson
2004:   Pennsylvania
2003:   Pennsylvania
2002:   William & Mary
2001:   William & Mary
2000:   William & Mary
1999:   William & Mary
1998:   Pennsylvania
1997:   James Madison
1996:   Northeastern
1995:   Towson
1994:   New Hampshire
1993:   Towson
1992:   Towson
1991:   Towson
1990:   Towson
1989:   Towson
1988:   Towson
1987:   Towson
1986:   New Hampshire
1985:   New Hampshire
1984:   New Hampshire

2010: Alise McDonald (1st team vault; 1st team FX; 1st team All-Around); Jackie Schweitzer (1st team bars; 1st team beam); Megan Wooden (1st team vault; 1st team FX; 2nd team All-Around); Emily Hill (1st team bars); Alyssa Dittman (1st team FX); Kacy Catanzaro (1st team vault; 2nd team bars; 2nd team beam); Avis Hixon (1st team vault); Kady Sullivan (1st team floor); Lindsay Poplaski (2nd team beam; 2nd team All-Around)

2009: Alise McDonald (1st team vault;  1st team floor; 1st team All-Around); Jackie Schweitzer (1st team bars; 1st team beam); Megan Wooden (1st team vault; 1st team floor; 2nd team All-Around); Emily Hill (1st team bars); Alyssa Dittman (1st team floor); Kacy Catanzaro (1st team vault; 2nd team bars; 2nd team beam); Avis Hixon (1st team vault); Kady Sullivan (1st team floor); Lindsay Poplaski (2nd team beam; 2nd team All-Around)

2008: Annukka Almenoksa (1st team vault;  1st team beam; 1st team floor; 1st team All-Around); Cristina Lindo (1st team bars); Alise McDonald (1st team vault); Jackie Schweitzer (1st team bars; 2nd team A-A); Decelia Willacy (1st team vault; 1st team beam; 1st team A-A); Megan Wooden (1st team A-A; 2nd team floor)

2007: Christina Ghani (1st team vault; 1st team A-A); Decelia Willacy (1st team vault; 1st team beam; 1st team floor; 1st team All-Around; 2nd team bars); Christine Logan (1st team Vlt; 1st team BB; 2nd team FX); Stacie Hogan (1st team Vlt; 1st team FX); Cristina Lindo (1st team UB; 2nd team BB); Jackie Schweitzer (1st team bars; 1st team beam; 1st team floor; 1st team All-Around); Alise McDonald (1st team vault); Jessica Hannah (2nd team beam)

2006: Christina Ghani (1st team A-A; 1st team vault; 1st team bars; 1st team FX); Christine Logan (1st team vault); Jessica Hannah (1st team A-A; 1st team bars; 2nd team vault; 2nd team FX); Cristina Lindo (1st team bars; 2nd team floor); Decelia Willacy (1st team floor; 2nd team vault)

2005: Christina Ghani (1st team A-A; 1st team vault; 1st team bars; 1st team FX); Jen Beekman (1st team floor); Nicole Groccia (1st team bars); Jessica Hannah (1st team beam); Juliya Kovaliova (1st team bars); Sarah Leong (2nd team vault); Cristina Lindo (1st team beam; 2nd team bars); Christine Logan (1st team vault; 2nd team beam); Jamie McDonald (1st team bars; 2nd team vault; 2nd team floor); Decelia Willacy (1st team vault; 2nd team beam)

1995: Wendy Chalmers, Karen Sturek, Joy Rudy, Sari Lehmusakallio, Erin Shanley, Melissa Weese, Katherine Creswell

1994: Wendy Chalmers, Pam Johnson, Carrie Leger, Joy Rudy, Karen Sturek

1993: Carrie Leger, Gabby Linarducci, Kim O'Keefe, Joy Rudy

1992: Wendy Chalmers, Julie Heilman, Jennifer Honaker, Gabby Linarducci, Kim O'Keefe, Joan Reitz, Janine Spezio, Joanne Watson, Wendy Weaver

1991: Maureen Greim, Julie Heilman, Gabby Linarducci, Kim O'Keefe, Janine Spezio,  Anne Sugden, Wendy Weaver

1990: Maureen Greim, Tandy Knight, Lori Salindong, Stephanie St. Angelo, Carri Scott, Janine Spezio, Anne Sugden, Wendy Weaver

1989: Tandy Knight, Lori Salindong, Carri Scott, Anne Sugden, Wendy  Weaver

1988: Karen Bianchino, Tandy Knight, Lori Salindong, Stephanie St. Angelo, Carri Scott, Anne Sugden

1987: Karen Bianchino, Colleen Kelly, Morris Anne Pickle, Lori Salindong, Stephanie St. Angelo