Frostburg State University Athletics

John LaBrec was an outstanding member of the Frostburg State gymnastics program from 1977 to 1979. After transferring from Montgomery College, he established himself as one of the top gymnasts at the NCAA Division II and III levels.

LaBrec set FSU records in the long horse vault (9.40), the parallel bars (7.95), the horizontal bar (7.90) and the all-around (44.35) during his career. He qualified for the 1979 NCAA Division II Championships in the long horse vault, ranking 10th in the nation, but a broken wrist suffered just two weeks prior to the championships prevented him from competing.

LaBrec also qualified for the 1978 NCAA Division II and III Championships in the long horse and did compete. He placed 61st out of 73 competitors with a score of 8.3.

Said Head Coach Fred Surgent of LaBrec, “He was a very dedicated athlete who worked as hard as any gymnast who ever performed at Frostburg State. His progress was excellent. For the two years I coached him, all of his performances in all events improved tremendously. Had he had another two years in our program, there is no question in my mind that he would have been an outstanding performer on the national level.”