Titans' Buffington, Karnitz Lead WIAC Gymnastics Award Winners
Emily Buffington was named Gymnast of the Year and Lauren Karnitz Coach of the Year to lead UW-Oshkosh's nine representatives on the 2022 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Gymnastics Team.
Buffington, a sophomore, helped UW-Oshkosh successfully defend its team title by finishing first on both the vault and uneven bars at the WIAC Championship held March 5 in Whitewater.
Buffington's 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. She also placed 28th in the floor exercise at this year's championship with a score of 9.40.
Buffington is UW-Oshkosh's first WIAC Gymnast of the Year selection. She was also chosen to this year's All-WIAC Team on both the vault and uneven bars.
Karnitz claimed WIAC Coach of the Year honors for the third time in her career (2014 & 2020) after leading UW-Oshkosh to its second straight league championship and 16th in program history. UW-Oshkosh, unbeaten against its Division III opponents this season, established a school record with its overall score of 192.300 at the WIAC Championship. The victory secured UW-Oshkosh's automatic bid into the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championship that will be held March 26 in Ithaca, N.Y.
Karnitz is in her 15th season as UW-Oshkosh's head coach. She was named the NCGA National Coach of the Year in both 2019 & 2020. The Crystal Lake, Ill., native has coached 12 Titans to 30 NCGA All-America citations, including current assistant coach Baylee Tkaczuk who won consecutive national uneven bars titles in 2017 and 2018.
Karnitz competed for the Titans from 2003-06. She earned All-WIAC honors in the floor exercise in 2004 and qualified for the final in the floor exercise at the 2006 NCGA Championship.
Karnitz earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from UW-Oshkosh in 2006 and 2012, respectively.
In addition to Buffington, UW-Oshkosh had seven other gymnasts – seniors Emily Gilot, Kaira Hammond and Rahdea Jarvis; junior Trinity Sawyer; sophomores Kaylie Berens and Anna Zoromski; and freshman Samantha Zeilinger – receive All-WIAC honors this season.
Buffington finished first (9.875) and Gilot second (9.775) on the vault at the 2022 WIAC Championship while Buffington placed first (9.85), Berens and Jarvis second (9.775) and Sawyer and Zeilinger fifth (9.70) on the uneven bars.
The balance beam had Zoromski finishing fourth (9.625) and Hammond fifth (9.60) while the floor exercise had Sawyer placing fourth (9.70).
Gymnasts finishing in the top six of the five individual categories at the 2022 WIAC Championship collected all-league recognition.
UW-Oshkosh's Rachel Morris was named to the WIAC's All-Sportsmanship Team while UW-La Crosse's Rachel Chesley was chosen as the WIAC Newcomer of the Year.
Receiving 2021 All-WIAC recognition from current UW-Oshkosh team members were Jarvis and Sawyer on the vault; Buffington, Gilot and Sawyer on the uneven bars; Olivia Keller in the floor exercise; and Buffington in the all-around competition.
In 2020, UW-Oshkosh's All-WIAC selections included Gilot and Jarvis on the vault, Hammond on the balance beam and Jarvis in the floor exercise.
Titans on the 2019 All-WIAC Team also included Gilot on the vault, Jarvis on the uneven bars and Hammond in the floor exercise.