Kylie Bridenhagen/Winonan
Less than a week after losing their final home meet by the slightest of margins, the Winona State University gymnastics team battled back to place second out of four teams at the Best of Minnesota meet held at the Sports Pavilion at the University of Minnesota campus Sunday afternoon.
The Warriors recorded their highest team score of the season, 184.675, to place second behind the division one University of Minnesota Gopher gymnastics team (196.150). They were able to beat Hamline (183.850) who had posted a win the past Tuesday against the Warriors. Gustavus Adolphus was fourth with a team total of 175.700.
Winona State started its meet off strong on the uneven bars, where they posted their season-high event total of 45.875. Danielle Thenell earned a season-high score of a 9.425 for her routine, which includes a sky-high Jaeger release move on the high bar. Thenell edged her way into the top ten and placed seventh overall. Melanee Pfautz scored a 9.200 for her routine to place ninth and also achieved a season best on the bars. Brooke Baures was 11th overall with a 9.100. Jade Donaldson and Olivia Catellino tied for 12th, each scoring a 9.075.
Lindsay Mable and Cierra Tomson, both of Minnesota, scored a 9.800 to share the first place event title.
In their second rotation on the balance beam, Baures placed sixth, the highest for the Warriors with a 9.550, just 0.05 off her season’s best score. This is the sixth time this season where Baures has finished in the top-ten. Cassandra Mello earned a 9.400 and ended up seventh, also receiving a season best for her routine. Donaldson chipped in with her 9.050 and shared 11th place with Hamline’s Tasha Golding. The Warriors beam total was a 45.600.
Minnesota’s Mable scored a 9.850 and finished in first place.
On their third event, the floor exercise, Winona State’s event total was a 45.850. Katie Seehusen and Donaldson each scored a 9.200 for their performances and tied for 11th overall. Brooke Hiestand chipped in with a 9.175 and finished in 13th place. Pfautz tied for 14th with Sarah Gardeski of Hamline. They each scored a 9.150. Mello tied for 16th with Kalyn Botzet, also of Hamline, to share the 16th place spot.
Mable won the event easily with a 9.900.
The Warriors finished their completion on the vault, where the team tied a program record of 47.350 for their event total. Five of the six gymnasts in the vault lineup achieved season bests with their vaults.
Donaldson scored a 9.650 for her laid out Yurchenko to place seventh overall and earn herself a season high score. Hiestand took ninth place, also with a laid out Yurchenko and scored a 9.550, her season high. Baures also earned a season best with her vault to tie for tenth overall with Jacklyn Clement of Hamline. They each scored a 9.450. Pfautz added a 9.375, also a season best and placed 14th. Mello and Joanna Reale placed 17th and 18th in the event. Mello earned a 9.325 for her vault, and Reale’s season high score on vault is now a 9.300.
Mable swept all the event titles as well as the all around title, in which she scored a combined 39.450.
Donaldson ended her meet third overall with a season high all-around score of a 36.975. Pfuatz made her all-around season debut and placed fifth with a 36.425.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the Warriors hosted the final home meet of the season against Hamline.
After having to count some mistakes on both the uneven bars and balance beam, Winona State fell to the Pipers 179.975-179.350.
Hiestand and Thenell each claimed an event title, while other Warrior gymnasts managed to earn top ten showings for their routines on multiple events.
Thenell earned a 9.300 for her routine to claim the event title on the uneven bars. Pfuatz was second with a 9.100 and Donaldson was third with an 8.925.
Mello topped the vault lineup with a 9.400 to place second overall and Donaldson was third with a 9.375.
Baures posted the team’s highest score on the balance beam with a 9.300 to finish in second place.
In the final rotation on the floor exercise, Hiestand tied for first place with Hamline’s Courtney Benson. They each scored a 9.500 for their routines. Veronica Peterson also chipped in her 9.375 to place third overall.
Benson finished first in the all around with a 37.050 and Donaldson was second with a 35.225.
Heading into the post season, the Warriors are looking to become the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions.
To prepare for this meet, the Warriors have been putting in a lot of numbers to ready themselves for one of their biggest meets of the year.
“Getting ready for the WIAC Championship, the team will be doing routines and owning what we have,” Hiestand said. “It is a numbers game, and it is about doing your routines the way you want to perform them that day at WIAC,” Hiestand said.
Thenell also said keeping the team healthy is key to the team during this part of the season. “Keeping everyone healthy is also a huge part,” she said. “We’ve had a couple of injuries and are trying to get key people back on their events before regionals and keep everyone else healthy.”
On March 2, the Warriors will be heading to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for a chance to win the WIAC title against several other gymnastics teams.
Winona State currently sits in fifth place overall in conference standings with a 2-2 competition record. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse team sits atop the standings with a 5-0 conference record.
Off the eight teams competing, the top three will move on to compete at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association national meet, held in Ithaca, N.Y. from March 21-22.
“We have proven through our top team totals this year that we do deserve to be there, but it is a matter of bringing what we own on the day of championships. I challenge any team to have as much heart as our team. We have truly become a family this year,” Hiestand said.
