After a third-place finish at home, the Winona State University gymnastics team took to the road in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference dual meet to take on the University of Wisconsin Whitewater on Friday, Jan. 10.  

There, they would end up tallying a team score of 179.875, while the Warhawks racked up an outstanding 185.775 to take top team honors. Despite the lower score, each of the Warriors that competed certainly left their mark.  

In the vault, Kennedy O’Connor earned the highest score for Winona State, scoring a 9.600 to snag third place. Jessica Miley finished in fifth place with a score of 9.425 and Izzy Kropiwiec scored 9.375 for sixth place.  

On the bars, Ashley Roth was the top WSU competitor, scoring a 9.100 while the Warhawks claimed the top four spots.  

Roth is a third-year from Omaha, Nebraska who had a significant season goal to perfect her performance on the bars. “My D single bar release has been in the works since I was a highschooler,” she said. “It is beyond rewarding to get to finally put it into a competition routine.” 

It takes a truly strong sense of determination to maintain a routine for several years, and with a similar desire to build the confidence of her teammates, Roth certainly will make an excellent role model for the younger Warriors as a senior.  

On the beam, Taryn Sellner earned a 9.525 to outpace UW-Whitewater’s competitor, securing a win for Winona State. Miley also finished in the top five with a score of 9.100.

Finally, Camdyn McSweeney finished in a tie for third in the floor exercise, scoring a 9.350 for the night. Miley took fifth in the same event at 9.275.

“I think this has been a great building season so far,” Miley said. “You can really see a lot of girls step up and do their best for the team.”  

As just a first-year student, Miley has certainly been fighting to make her mark on the team as the season kicks into gear. Miney went on to earn a score of 36.525 as the only student-athlete from either team to compete in all four events, an impressive feat no matter the outcome of the meet.  

Having unfortunately had a few accidental injuries this season, the team has had to come together to find routines that would make up for the individuals that are unable to perform. With such a significant number of first-year members who are new to college gymnastics, pushing through such unpredictable circumstances has proven difficult, but in typical Warrior fashion, they have persevered with a common goal in mind, to make it to nationals.  

Their next three meets will occur on the road which includes competing at NCAA Division I Northern Illinois on Jan. 29 and in a dual meet at UW-Stout on Feb. 3. The Warriors will then return home to McCown Gymnasium on Feb. 10 where they will host Gustavus Adolphus College.