GYMNASTICS Laurel gymnasts secure medals at national meet

The Chesapeake Bayhawks’ Niko Amato and the Dallas Rattlers' John Galloway shared the Major League Lacrosse Goalie of the Year award. The awards were presented Friday night in a ceremony in Charleston, S.C., to kick off the MLL’s championship weekend. Galloway won eight of 10 starts for the Rattlers this season, while Amato (Maryland) essentially grabbed the starting role in the second half of the Bayhawks game at Charlotte on May 3 and then led Chesapeake to seven straight victories. He had eight wins in his 12 appearances. Amato’s goals-against-average was 12.37 and on two separate occasions he made 20 saves or more in a contest. Other award winners were: Dallas’ Bill Warder (Coach of Year); New York’s Rob Pannell (Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player); Dallas’ Matt Dunn (Defensive Player of the Year); Denver’s Chris Cloutier (Rookie of the Year); Atlanta’s Scott Ratliff (Dave Huntley Man of the Year) and Boston’s Mitch Belisle (Players’ Choice Award) . ... The Denver Outlaws won the MLL championship Saturday night, edging the Dallas Rattlers, 16-12, as attackman Matt Kavanagh led the way with four goals and five assists. Dale Capuano and the second in a stakes for jockey Daniel Centeno, who also captured the Ben’s Cat aboard Sonny Inspired three races earlier. Majestic Reason became a stakes winner in just her third career start, powering through the stretch for a 11⁄4-length triumph in the Miss Disco. Athletes from Emilia’s Acrobatics & Gymnastics Club in Laurel earned five gold medals and secured six of the 29 spots on the U.S. national team for acrobatic gymnastics with their performances at the USA Gymnastics Championships last month in Greensboro, N.C. Elanor Chang of Columbia, Calista Davis of Ijamsville and Madison Freed of Mount Airy, a senior elite women’s group, earned a gold medal and were named to the U.S. senior national team; Isabel Chang of Columbia, Alexandra Gladkova of Fairfax, Va., and Caitlyn Kicza of Woodbine, a senior elite women’s group, earned silver and were named to the U.S. senior national team; Sean Butehorn of Mount Airy, Daniel Disman of Clarksville, Grant Shields of Columbia and Sean Shields of Columbia, a senior elite men’s group, earned gold and were named to the U.S. senior national team EAGC honors; Marisa Gatson of Severn, Olivia Struble of Laurel and Micah Whiteman of Columbia, a junior elite 13-19 women’s group, earned gold and were named to the U.S. junior national team; Ethan Chang of Columbia, Devon Freed of Mount Airy, Sam Lacy of Columbia and Cade Shields of Columbia, an 11-16 men’s group, earned gold and were named to the 11-16 age group team; and Jessica Kicza of Woodbine and Mariam Tutberidze of Severn, an 11-16 women’s pair, earned silver and were named to the 11-16 age group team. U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS: Khoi Young of Bowie won the 15-16 boys pommel horse during the junior boys competition in Boston on Saturday. Young also finished seventh in the all-around . ... In the senior men’s, Sam Mikulak soared to his fifth all-around U.S. gymnastics title Saturday. Baltimore’s Donnell Whittenburg, an Olympic alternate two years ago, finished outside the top three on both still rings and parallel bars as he recovers from right shoulder surgery. —