Laura Anderson / Winonan

Last year, the Winona State gymnastics team finished with a program record. The Warriors scored 191.650, which was the best result in team history. They finished fourth at the NCGA National Championship, and their new record took place at The College at Brockport in New York, one of the biggest stages.

Head coach Beckie Rolbiecki said, “We are really enjoying getting to know our new freshmen and finding out what they are capable of. This team will be a ‘land of discovery adventure’ every week as our team is 50 percent first-year students and they have a lot of potential for development.”

The 2016-17 women’s gymnastics team has 12 first-year students, six sophomores and eight juniors.

“Our challenge will be to build confidence in our young squad as we are without any seniors on the team,” Rolbiecki said. “At this point in the season we are working on strength, technique and new skill development to build bigger and stronger routines.”

The young Warrior team practices Monday through Friday for three hours a day; a totaling 15 hours a week. As a team, they start each practice with cardio, strengthening and stretching and then they focus on their individual event(s).

In addition to practicing in the gymnastics gym, Katie Pipp, a junior whose events are bars and floor, said the team also practices for three hours Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m. in the weight room.

The Warriors are making positive changes at practice and to prepare for the upcoming season.

“Practices have been going very well for our team as a whole. We are making positive changes each week to put our routines together for our upcoming season,” Pipp said.

Last season, for the first time in team history, the Warriors received their highest score and placed fourth at Nationals.

Pipp said, “The ultimate goal for this season is to qualify for a team to Nationals and when we get there, place in the top three teams. Our team motto this year is ‘team first always’, so that is the goal we are all trying to achieve first and foremost.”

“Our stronger upperclassmen are looking really good and are already showing consistency in their routines. We are really excited about the possibilities for this season. This would appear to be a building year for us with the graduation of our strong senior class last year,” Rolbiecki said.

Taylor Lewis, a junior and vaulter, said, “Each competition I will focus on being better than the last. It is important for me that I am at my best towards the end of the season.”

She also had the team motto on her mind as she said, “I will do whatever I can to help the team as best that I can—that is the most important thing.”

The road to Nationals is challenging, but the Warriors think about Nationals at each practice and treat each practice as a competition.

“We think about the road to Nationals every single day at practice. We practice like we are competing at regionals every day. Every turn counts. Every time I jump on the bar, I pretend like I’m competing to qualify our team to Nationals,” Pipp said.

Rolbiecki discussed how the team is always thinking about Nationals, and to remind them that they are not the same team as they were last year.

Rolbiecki said, “We have discussed Nationals with this group and our desire to repeat as team qualifiers. The gymnasts from last season are very anxious to return and they know that with hard work and a belief in themselves that great things can happen.”

With a new year comes a new team, and Rolbiecki also said, “We have reminded this group though that they are not last year’s team—that this is a new journey with new players. It’s their opportunity to make their own imprint on the program. Personally, I believe we can do great things with this team.”

The young team’s mentality will be to focus on daily practices and emphasize on each week in order to have greater improvement the next week. When they begin competitions, the team will strive to have the same mentality.

“As long as we continue to grow and improve, we can teach this new squad that they are a talented and capable group of young athletes. With that will come with the belief. And with the belief anything is possible,” Rolbiecki said.

The first home match for the women’s gymnastics team will be against Gustavus Adolphus College on Friday, Jan. 13.

-By Laura Anderson