BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Prior to the 2023 Mountain East Conference Acrobatics & Tumbling Championships on Friday and Saturday in Frostburg, Maryland, the MEC today announced its major awards winners and all-conference teams. Frostburg State junior top and tumbler Abbie Baker headlined the award winners as the 2023 MEC Athlete of the Year in Acrobatics & Tumbling.
 
Fairmont State’s Peyton Barnes was voted as the MEC Specialist of the Year in 2023, while Frostburg State’s Isabella Mongelluzzo was honored as the Freshman of the Year. Frostburg State head coach Katie Nunley repeated as the Coach of the Year.
 
Baker, a junior top and tumbler from Berlin, Maryland, also became a two-time first team All-MEC selection in 2023 and was named the NCATA National Athlete of the Week back on March 22. Baker competed in 12 heats and team event for Frostburg during the regular season, with the Bobcats averaging a 9.60 or better in seven of the heats. She competed in compulsory toss as a top and helped Frostburg State average a 9.83 in the heat through eight meets. The Bobcats also averaged a 9.74 in the synchronized pyramid, open pyramid and open toss with Baker serving as the top in each heat. She also competed in the open tumbling pass and averaged a 9.725 in the individual tumbling pass, which included a season-high 9.90 in Frostburg’s dual meet against Fairmont State earlier this season.
 
Barnes, a senior base from Waldorf, Maryland, helped Fairmont State average a 9.44 or better in each of the three pyramid heats this season, including an event-high 9.71 in the open pyramid. Barnes helped Fairmont State score a 9.70 or higher in pyramid heats 10 times this season, including a season-high 9.85 twice in the open pyramid, and a 9.75 in both the inversion and synchronized pyramids. Barnes competed as a mid-base in the inversion and open pyramid heats, while serving as a catcher in the synchronized pyramid heat. Barnes was also voted a second team All-MEC selection.
 
Mongelluzzo, from Myersville, Maryland, competed in 10 different heats as a freshman for the Bobcats. During the regular season, she helped the Bobcats average a 9.70 or higher in six different heats as a base, including a 9.83 in the compulsory pyramid and a 9.74 in the synchronized pyramid, open pyramid and open toss. She was named the NCATA National Freshman of the Week twice this season (3/22, 3/29).
 
Nunley was voted as the Acrobatics & Tumbling Coach of the Year for the second time in 2023 after leading Frostburg State to an 8-2 overall record during the regular season, including an unbeaten mark of 5-0 in MEC meets. Frostburg State went 4-0 at home this season and will host the MEC Acrobatics & Tumbling Championships for the first time this weekend. The Bobcats also won their first-ever MEC Regular Season Championship and currently rank sixth nationally in the NCATA Championship Rankings.
 
Frostburg State had four student-athletes land on the All-MEC first team, including Baker, Mongelluzzo, Navah Marierose and Laiken Spahr. Fairmont State had a trio of first-team picks, including Emily Brock, Brionni Dowson and Katey Koehl. West Liberty also had three first-team selections (Kayla Gandy, Gillian Hartz and Abbey Swinderman). Two Glenville State athletes rounded out the first team with Savannah Duckworth and Madisyn Hahn each being honored.
 
A full list of honorees is provided below. The MEC award winners and all-conference teams are selected following a vote of the league’s head coaches.

Acrobatics & Tumbling Postseason Award Winners
Athlete of the Year: Abbie Baker (Frostburg State)
Specialist of the Year: Peyton Barnes (Fairmont State)
Freshman of the Year: Isabella Mongelluzzo (Frostburg State)
Coach of the Year: Katie Nunley (Frostburg State)

Acrobatics & Tumbling All-Conference Teams

Student-Athlete	Team	Position	Class
First Team All-MEC
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 All-MEC
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	Gr.
Izaria McWhorter-Martin	Fairmont State	Base/Tumbler	So.
Taylor Openlander	Fairmont State	Top/Tumbler	So.
Katlyn Smith	Notre Dame	Base/Tumbler	Fr.