Titans Place Behind Blue Devils, Pipers In Season Opener

The UW-Oshkosh women's gymnastics team opened its 2011 season with a third-place finish in a triangular hosted by Hamline University (Minn.) on Saturday (Jan. 8) in St. Paul, Minn.

UW-Stout won the meet with 177.075 points, while Hamline University finished second with 173.975 and UW-Oshkosh third with 169.825. The Titans scored 44.325 points in the floor exercise, 44.075 on the vault, 41.525 on the balance beam and 39.90 on the uneven bars.

UW-Oshkosh was led by the individual efforts of Stacie Jenkins (Sr. • Peoria, Ariz.) and Khrystyna Lychagina (Fr. • River Grove, Ill.). Both gymnasts recorded third-place finishes, with Jenkins counting 9.30 points in the floor exercise and Lychagina 9.10 on the vault. Lychagina also placed eighth on the balance beam with a score of 8.575.

UW-Oshkosh's Abby Zubella (So. • Appleton) scored 9.275 points to finish fourth in the floor exercise, while Jill Lindberg (Jr. • Meridian, Idaho) counted 8.725 to finish fifth on the balance beam.

The Titans' Ryan Metzger (Sr. • Hanover Park, Ill.) placed eighth on both the uneven bars and vault with scores of 8.35 and 8.875, respectively.

Lissette LaFex of Hamline University won the all-around competition with a score of 34.90. She also took first place on the uneven bars with a 9.425 points.

UW-Stout was led by the three first-place finishes of Naomi DeLara. DeLara posted winning scores of 9.65 on the balance beam, 9.55 in the floor exercise and 9.55 on the vault.

UW-Oshkosh hosts Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) and Winona State University (Minn.) on Saturday (Jan. 15) in Kolf Sports Center.