Titans Win Second Straight WIAC Championship

UW-Oshkosh outscored UW-Whitewater by less than one point during the final event rotation to successfully defend its title at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Gymnastics Championship (presented by Culver's) held Saturday (March 5) in Whitewater.

UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater entered the final rotation tied with a score of 144.550. The Titans then outgained the Warhawks, 47.750-47.325, on the balance beam to capture its 16th WIAC championship in program history.

UW-Oshkosh, which went unbeaten against its Division III opponents during the regular season, won this year's conference title with a school-record score of 192.300. In addition to their score on the balance beam the Titans also had team results of 48.80 on the uneven bars, 47.975 in the floor exercise and 47.775 on the vault. UW-Oshkosh established both a school and Division III record with its score on the uneven bars.

2017 champion UW-Whitewater finished second to UW-Oshkosh with a score of 191.875 while 2018 winner UW-La Crosse placed third at 191.200 and 2019 victor UW-Stout fourth at 189.625. The 2020 WIAC Championship was not held due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Saturday's conference gathering also served as the West Region qualifier for the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championship that will be held March 26 at Ithaca College (N.Y.). The top three teams from the WIAC Championship - UW-Oshkosh, UW-Whitewater and UW-La Crosse - along with several qualified gymnasts, advanced to the NCGA meet. UW-Oshkosh was the NCGA champion in 1989 and 2007.

Rounding out the team standings at the WIAC Championship were fifth-place UW-Eau Claire with a score of 187.450, sixth-place Winona State University (Minn.) at 186.225, seventh-place Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) at 184.800 and eighth-place Hamline University (Minn.) at 184.400.

This year's WIAC Championship featured four of the top 10 teams in the Division III Rating Index compiled by RoadToNationals.com. Second-ranked UW-Whitewater led all WIAC squads with its season average score of 189.682 while UW-Oshkosh listed third at 189.618, UW-La Crosse fourth at 188.818 and UW-Stout sixth at 187.358.

UW-Oshkosh's Emily Buffington claimed individual titles on both the vault and uneven bars. Her winning score of 9.875 on the vault established UW-Oshkosh and championship records while her victorious result of 9.85 on the uneven bars matched school and championship records. Buffington also placed 28th in the floor exercise with a score of 9.40.

The Titans owned a trio of second-place finishes as Emily Gilot earned a score of 9.775 on the vault while Kaylie Berens and Rahdea Jarvis achieved marks of 9.775 on the uneven bars.

UW-Oshkosh had three other top 20 finishers on the uneven bars as Trinity Sawyer and Samantha Zeilinger placed fifth with scores of 9.70 and Gilot eighth at 9.65.

The balance beam featured four top 20 finishers for the Titans. Anna Zoromski led UW-Oshkosh with her fourth-place score of 9.625 while Kaira Hammond placed fifth at 9.60 and both Berens and Delaney Cienkus eighth at 9.55. UW-La Crosse's Emma Grant won the event with a score of 9.75.

In the floor exercise, UW-Oshkosh received top 20 listings from Jarvis, Sawyer, Olivia Keller and Kennedy Springer. Sawyer finished fourth with a score of 9.70 while Keller placed seventh at 9.675 and both Jarvis and Springer 12th at 9.60. UW-La Crosse's Rachel Chesley took first place in the event with a score of 9.825.

UW-Oshkosh's Mia Lucero contributed an 11th-place score of 9.65 on the vault.

UW-Whitewater's Emily North won the all-around competition with a score of 38.325.

The top six finishers in each of the five individual categories received All-WIAC designation.