Winona State University's Newspaper since 1919

The Winonan

Winona State University's Newspaper since 1919

The Winonan

Winona State University's Newspaper since 1919

The Winonan

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Gymnastics posts home victory on senior night

First-year Natalie Koehler performs a handspring on the balance beam against Hamline University Friday  in Winona. (Photo by Jacob Striker)
First-year Natalie Koehler performs a handspring on the balance beam against Hamline University Friday
in Winona. (Photo by Jacob Striker)

Reagan Johnson / Winonan

For the Winona State University gymnastics team, Friday night was more than their last home meet of the season. It was a night of honoring four seniors, Brooke Hiestand, Jade Donaldson, Emily Goldeman and Olivia Cattleino, who were stepping out to the floor one last time.

The Warriors wrapped up their final home meet with a 186.175-183.250 win on senior night against Hamline University in Winona.

Donaldson recorded her best all-around score of the season, a 37.275. Donaldson was able to score above a 9.0 on all four events, posting a 9.550 on vault, a 9.475 on floor, a 9.200 on bars and a 9.100 on beam.

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“I felt really great about my performance. It’s been an up and down kind of season for me so to put it together while my parents were here and it being senior night was really good,” Donaldson said.

Also preforming well in all-around competition was sophomore Eboni Jackson. Jackson posted a 38.250 all-around score and won three out of four events. Jackson won the vault with a score of 9.650, the balance beam with a 9.500 and floor exercise with a 9.650 and placed second on the uneven bars with a 9.450.

Hiestand tied for third place on floor exercise scoring a 9.525 and also scored a 9.450 on vault.

Hiestand said there were a lot of emotions while competing at her last home meet of her college gymnastics career.

“I think I might have let that get in the way a little bit but I don’t think I could have been more proud of the way I went out here at Winona State,” Hiestand said.

Goldeman recorded a 9.500 on vault. The Warrior achieved a vault score of 47.500, which was the second-best in program history behind last week’s 47.800 score.

Sophomore Katie Pipp won the uneven bars with a 9.475 while Cattelino scored a 9.100.

First-years Natalie Koehler and Miranda Saathoff took second and third place on balance beam with scores of 9.350 and a 9.325, respectively.

Winona State head coach Beckie Rolbiecki said the team’s confidence level has improved throughout the season.

“They’re showing much more confidence in their performances,” Rolbiecki said.

Winona State will complete its regular season at the Best of Minnesota meet Saturday, Feb. 27 in Minneapolis.

Donaldson said she is looking forward to the upcoming meet and improving on her performance.

“I feel really good. I’m ready to continue what I did this past weekend on this next weekend,” Donaldson said. “Our motto this year is to give

an extra tenth so that’s what I want to bring to

my team, pick up some extra tenths that we might have lost this last weekend so that we can bring up our team score.”

This will be the Warrior’s last meet before competing at the WIAC Championship/NCGA West Regional in La Crosse on March 4.

Rolbiecki said she believes in the team and their goal of reaching the national tournament.

“I have never felt more confident about it, the last two meets have really shown me some of the consistence we’ve been looking for,” Rolbiecki said.

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