Titans Set To Defend WIAC Title

UW-Oshkosh will strive for a second consecutive first-place finish at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Gymnastics Championship/National Collegiate Gymnastics Association West Regional (presented by Culver's) at UW-Whitewater's Kachel Fieldhouse on March 5. This year's championship will mark the 48th assembling of WIAC teams with march-in scheduled for 4 pm.

The 2021 championship was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, UW-Oshkosh won the 15th title in program history with a score of 189.657. UW-Whitewater placed second with a score of 189.425, UW-La Crosse third with 189.350, UW-Stout fourth with 186.925, Hamline University (Minn.) fifth with 184.925, Winona State University (Minn.) sixth with 182.100, UW-Eau Claire seventh with 177.075 and Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) eighth with 175.925.

UW-La Crosse owns a league-high 24 conference titles, while UW-Oshkosh has 15 and UW-Whitewater five. Former member UW-Madison secured two.

The conference meet will also serve as the West Region qualifier for the NCGA championship that will be held March 26 and hosted by Ithaca College (N.Y.). The top three teams from the WIAC event, along with qualified gymnasts, will advance to the NCGA meet.

The top six finishers in each event receive All-Conference designation.

This year's championship features a pair of gymnasts that claimed individual titles at the 2020 meet. UW-La Crosse's Kerri Legault was victorious in the uneven bars with a score of 9.700. UW-Oshkosh's Emily Gilot won the vault with a score of 9.725. Gilot was the first Titan to finish first in the event since 2003.

At the 2019 championship, UW-Stout's Mikala Bugge scored a 9.825 to win the floor exercise. Her mark matched a conference meet record.

The WIAC Honor Roll from this season includes the following top-three scores:

In the vault: UW-Oshkosh's Emily Buffington (9.800) and Emily Gilot (9.800) and UW-Whitewater's Rachel Lewellan (9.800); UW-Stout's Mikala Bugge (9.775); UW-La Crosse's Rachel Chesley (9.750) and UW-Whitewater's Kara Welsh (9.750).

In the uneven bars: UW-Whitewater's Richella Velarmino (9.825); Kelsey Kollhoff (9.775); and UW-Oshkosh's Emily Buffington (9.750).

In the balance beam: UW-La Crosse's Emma Grant (9.800); UW-Whitewater's Sarah Knetzke (9.775); UW-La Crosse's Cate Sandvik (9.725).

In the floor exercise: UW-Stout's Isabella Krulich (9.800) and UW-Whitewater's Emily North (9.800); UW-Whitewater's Meg McGinley (9.775) and Faith Mylin (9.775); UW-Oshkosh's Rahdea Jarvis (9.750), Olivia Keller (9.750), Kennedy Springer (9.750), UW-Whitewater's Kelsey Kollhoff (9.750) and Winona State University's Izzy Kropiwicz (9.750).

In the all-around: UW-Whitewater's Emily North (38.425), Faith Mylin (38.100) and Kelsey Kolllhoff (37.900).