Titans To Perform At WIAC Championship/NCGA Regional

Leane Blais goes for a second straight balance beam title when UW-Oshkosh participates at the WIAC Women's Gymnastics Championship on Sunday (March 2) in Whitewater.

Competition begins at 2 p.m. in UW-Whitewater's Williams Center.

Blais won last year's balance beam competition with a score of 9.625. She also finished second on the uneven bars with a mark of 9.50.

UW-Oshkosh's Krystal Walker returns to the meet after earning all-conference awards in two areas a year ago. She placed second on the balance beam with a score of 9.575 and third in the all-around competition with a figure of 36.80.

Also expected to place high at the meet is UW-Oshkosh's Steffani Meusburger on the uneven bars.

UW-Whitewater is the defending WIAC team champion. Last year, the Warhawks earned their third league title with 187.65 points. UW-La Crosse placed second with 187.025 points, UW-Eau Claire third with 186.65, Winona State University (Minn.) fourth with 185.25, UW-Stout fifth with 184.40 and UW-Oshkosh sixth with 183.05.

UW-La Crosse owns a record 21 WIAC titles, while UW-Oshkosh ranks second with 14 and UW-Whitewater third with three.

This year's meet features seven individuals who have claimed titles at previous WIAC championships.

UW-Whitewater's Allyse Dieringer was victorious on the uneven bars a year ago and the balance beam in 2012.

UW-La Crosse's Christa Booman is the defending champion in the all-around competition and added a first-place finish on the uneven bars in 2012. The Eagles' Sheree Romesburg will strive for back-to-back titles in the floor exercise, while Morgan Shene claimed the all-around crown in 2012.

At the 2012 championship, UW-Stout's Katherine Prouty earned the vault title, while Hamline University's Courtney Benson secured a first-place finish in the floor exercise.

This year's championship features student-athletes who represent an incredible 24 different states and one from Canada. The breakdown by state are Minnesota (49), Illinois (22), Wisconsin (20), Missouri (7), Tennessee (6), Colorado (5), Florida (5), Michigan (5), Ohio (4), Indiana (3), Virginia (3), Washington (3), Georgia (2), Iowa (2), Nebraska (2), New Hampshire (2), North Dakota (2), Oregon (2), South Dakota (2), Alaska (1), Massachusetts (1), North Carolina (1), Pennsylvania (1) and Texas (1).

The top six finishers in each event receive all-conference designation.

The WIAC Championship also serves as the West Region qualifier for the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship that will be held March 21-22 in Ithaca, N.Y. The top three teams from the WIAC Championship, along with qualified individual gymnasts, will advance to the NCGA meet.

Sunday's competition celebrates the 41st anniversary of the WIAC Championship and the 17th reunion of the NCGA West Regional. It's the 10th time that the two meets have been held simultaneously.