Vault

Barlow's Gymnastics levels 5 and 7 girls teams earned first-place trophies at last weekend's meet at Columbia Gymnastics.Competing for Barlow's in Level 5 competition were Sarah Strickenburg, Leanne Kenty, Linda Adams, Kristen Cross, Janine Haines, Kaelyn Moury and Cathy Schnell.Strickenburg of Annapolis took second on bars (8.60), first on vault (7.15), second on floor (8.20), second on beam (8.60) and first in the all-around among the 7- and 8-year-olds with 32.55.Also competing in the 7-8 age group was Kenty of Stevensville, placing first on bars (8.65)

A teller and her boyfriend were arrested yesterday and charged in the Dec. 1 robbery of a North Avenue bank in which a gunman in woman's clothes hid in the basement and robbed tellers as they went to put money into the vault. Christopher Fredericks, 25, of the 7000 block of Surrey Drive and Unique Jones, 18, of the 2900 block of Boarman Ave. -- a teller at the bank for about five months -- were arrested early yesterday at their Northwest Baltimore homes by police and FBI agents, said Detective Bernard Douglas.

The Docksiders' annual "Christmas in Annapolis" gymnastics competition attracted more than 300 gymnasts from five states to the Millersville facility.The Docksiders swept the overall team competition bytaking first place in the three-day competition.In the Level 9 Open Division, the Docksiders achieved 43 placements, including Gemma Robison's first-place finish in all-around in the12-14 age group. Robison took first in vault, bars and beam and placed second on floor.Stephanie Light captured first place in all-around in the 15-and-over age group, as she nabbed first on bars and beam and third on floor.

Two armed men robbed a Glenelg bank yesterday morning, then locked customers and bank employees in a vault, Howard County police said.About 10 a.m., two masked men rushed into Citizens National Bank in the 3900 block of Ten Oaks Road and announced a robbery, police said.The men demanded cash from tellers, ordered everyone into the vault, then fled with an undisclosed amount of money, police said.The people in the bank could not provide police with a detailed description of the men.The Maryland Association of Bank Security is offering a $2,000 reward to anyone providing information leading to an arrest and indictment.

A Baltimore public works employee and three other women were arraigned yesterday on theft and conspiracy charges stemming from an alleged scheme that involved stealing a batch of blank checks from a city vault.Janet Zientak, 28, who works for the city's Public Works Department, was arrested in January and indicted last month.Also arraigned yesterday in Baltimore Circuit Court were her sister, Josephine Garcia, 27; Linda Gail Boggs, 35; and Marcella Madera, 44, prosecutors said.Harry Maris, 47, who was indicted on similar charges, has nobeen arrested.

A bank teller manager from Odenton pleaded guilty in federal court in Greenbelt yesterday to embezzling more than $35,000. Theresa Williamson, 40, worked at Wachovia Bank in Laurel starting in 2002, according to court documents. Over two years, she transferred about $35,920 from a vault to her checking account, prosecutors said. The transactions generally involved between $1,000 and $2,000 each. She would create a "miscellaneous cash out ticket" for the amount she had taken to balance the bank's records, documents say. Because the bank rarely audited the vault, the crime was not discovered until an audit Sept.

Man charged in robbery linked to recent theftsA 30-year-old man who was arrested yesterday morning in connection with the robbery of a South County convenience store is a suspect in three other robberies in Prince George's County, police said yesterday.Norman L. McLeon Jr., of the 4300 block of Darco Road in Upper Marlboro, was charged with theft and robbery.County police said a man walked into a Dash-Inn convenience store in Wayson's Corner about 7 a.m., approached a 26-year-old clerk and demanded money.

Perna Gymnastics Club's Sean Ruth and Nick Willet ranke among the leaders in almost every event in this weekend's USA Gymnastics-sponsored boys state championships at the Fairland Athletic Club in Prince George's County to qualify for April's regionals at West Point.Competing at Level 6, Ruth (7-8 age bracket) scored 5.20 on floor exercises (fourth place), 5.40 on pommel horse (eighth), 4.50 on rings, 5.10 on vault (third), 5.30 on parallel bars (fifth), 5.10 on horizontal bars (sixth) and 30.60 all-around (fourth)

Two armed men robbed a Mount Airy bank yesterday morning, escaping with a bagful of money.VTC The pair may be the same bandits wanted by the FBI for several recent robberies in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, state police said. No information about those robberies was available.The men, dressed in dark blue overalls and wearing ski masks and gloves, entered a branch of Carroll County Bank and Trust Co. at Twin Arch Shopping Center at 9: 10 a.m. They herded employees and one customer into the vault, stuffed a large bag with money and closed the door to the vault before fleeing, police said.

GymnasticsFour members of the Carroll Challengers had ranking performances in last weekend's Harford Holiday gymnastics tournament.Jamie Schlipper (Level 5, 9-up age group) outpointed 32 other contestants with an all-around score of 34.00. She scored 9.20 on balance beam (first), 8.90 on floor exercises (third), 7.70 on vaulting (fourth) and 8.20 on parallel bars (fifth).Also at Level 5 (7-8 age group), Kenna Haden was 7.40 on beam (fifth) and sixth on floor.Tammy Wilson (Level 7, 12-14) was fifth of 30 contestants on floor exercises, with an 8.05.