Kylie Bridenhagen/Winonan

The 2013-14 Winona State University gymnastics team hosted the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks and the University of Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils for a triangular meet at their first home competition of the season Friday, Jan. 17, in McCown Gymnasium.

Having to count some major mistakes on both the uneven bars and balance beam, Winona State finished third with a team score of 177.925. UW-Whitewater took home the team title with a team score of 183.550. UW-Stout was second with a 178.575.

The Warriors started their night on the vault, where sophomore Jade Donaldson, a National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) national championship qualifier on the vault from the previous season, led the team with a fifth place showing of 9.350. Sophomore Brooke Hiestand earned a 9.150 for her stuck laid out yurchenko vault, which left her ninth overall on the apparatus.

As a team, Winona State posted a team total of 44.950 after their first rotation to lead the triangular meet.

Winona State’s second rotation on the uneven bars proved to be a challenging event for the team, as they had to count only two scores above a 9.000 and scored a team total of a 43.825. Junior Melanee Pfautz led the team with a fifth place finish and scored a 9.150, while junior Brooke Baures 9.050 was good for a seventh place finish overall. The Warhawks had a strong second rotation on the floor exercise, where they posted a 45.925 to put their team ahead of UW-Stout and Winona State.

Baures won her third straight individual event title on the balance beam in the third rotation for the Warriors with a 9.475. This event also proved to be inconsistent for the team, as they posted a team total of 43.525 and had to count scores in the 8’s.

The Warriors finished their competition on the floor exercise, where four of the counting scores were 9.075 or higher. Hiestand, who qualified for the NCGA national championship meet last season on floor, earned a second place finish overall with her 9.350 and was the team’s leading scorer.

Freshman Veronica Peterson posted the second highest score for the team with a 9.150 and a sixth place finish overall.  Lone senior Katie Seehusen and Donaldson tied for eighth place, each with a 9.075. The team totaled a 45.625 on their fourth apparatus.

Both Baures and Donaldson competed in the all-around, where they finished third and fourth, respectively. Baures’ all-around totaled 35.850 while Donaldson’s all-around was 35.775.
Prior to this meet, Winona State competed in two other away meets, both where they finished in the top spot.

The Warriors season opener was also a triangular meet against UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire, where they topped the Warhawks and Blugolds with a team and season high team score thus far of a 184.425. UW-Eau Claire was second with a 183.900 and UW-Whitewater was third with a 182.950.

In three of the four events, the team posted an event total of 46.650 or higher.

They started their night on the uneven bars, where they posted 44.150 as their event total. Junior Danielle Thenell was second overall with a 9.325, while Donaldson added a 9.050 to the team total.

All five of the counted team scores in their second rotation on the balance beam were a 9.225 or better, as the team put together a 46.650 for the team total.  Peterson was tenth with a 9.225. Hiestand and Donaldson tied for eighth, both with a 9.250. Freshman Joanna Reale was fifth overall with a 9.350. Baures led the team with a season high 9.575 to win the event title.

All of the Warriors in the floor lineup scored a 9.150 or better, and the team scored a combined total of a 46.925. Sophomore Cassandra Mello was 15th with a 9.150. Seehusen shared the 13th place spot with a 9.175. Pfautz was tied for ninth with a 9.300 and Peterson tied for fifth with a 9.475. Hiestand led the team with a season high 9.650 and was second overall.

On the vault, Donaldson claimed her first of two event titles so far this season with a 9.5000 to lead the Warriors. Peterson was third overall with a 9.400. Hiestand was right behind her with a 9.375. Reale tied for tenth place, rounding out the lineup with a 9.250.

Baures won the all-around with a 36.750.

The Warriors dominated their second meet of the season against Gustavus Adolphus where they bettered the Lions 180.650 to 167.150. Winona State claimed the top three spots on each event as well as the individual all-around title.

Donaldson won two event titles and the all-around in this dual meet. On the vault, she claimed the title with a 9.450. Peterson was second with a 9.325, and sophomore Olivia Catellino was third with a 9.200. Reale was sixth with a 9.000. The Warriors posted a 45.825 team score on the apparatus.

Catellino led the team with a 9.100 on the uneven bars to win the event title. Pfautz was second with an 8.975. Thenell posted an 8.850, which was good for third place, and Donaldson was fourth with an 8.800. The team total was 43.650.

On the beam, Baures won the event with a 9.575 to contribute to her team’s 44.825 event total. Reale was second with a 9.350, and Pfautz was third with an 8.900.

In their final event, the Warriors posted a 46.350 floor total to help them win the meet.

Donaldson won the event with a 9.550; Mello was second with a 9.425; Peterson was third with a 9.325; and Hiestand was fourth with a 9.200.

Donaldson earned the all-around title with a combined score of 36.350.

The Warriors return to action on Jan. 24, traveling to face the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Contact Kylie at [email protected]