Titans To Perform At WIAC Championship

UW-Oshkosh aims for its sixth top-three showing in the last 10 years when it competes at the 2011 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Gymnastics Championship on Saturday (March 12) in Menomonie.

This conference meet will also serve as the West Region qualifier for the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship, scheduled to take place on March 25-26 in Eau Claire. The top three teams from the WIAC event, along with several qualified gymnasts, advance to the national competition.

UW-Whitewater captured last year’s title with 185.475 points. UW-La Crosse followed in second place at 183.775, along with Winona State University (Minn.) third at 183.600, UW-Eau Claire fourth at 180.325 and UW-Oshkosh fifth at 179.675. Eight teams took part in the event.

The Titans, who own 14 WIAC championships, will be led by all-around performer Stacie Jenkins (Sr. • Peoria, Ariz.). She tallied a career-high score of 37.85 in Whitewater to win last week’s contest. Jenkins also added a season-high mark of 9.675 in the floor exercise. At last season’s WIAC Championship, Jenkins finished fifth in the floor exercise with her score of 9.575.

Stephanie Gorman (Fr. • Belvidere, Ill.) excels on the vault, where she notched a 9.525 on March 5. Teammate Khrystyna Lychagina (Fr. • River Grove, Ill.) earned one of the better vault scores in the WIAC this season, posting a 9.45 on January 21. UW-Oshkosh expects a contribution from Paula Delsart (Sr. • Green Bay), who received a score of 9.60 on the balance beam last week.

This year's championship features two individuals who are striving to repeat as first-place finishers from the 2010 meet. UW-Eau Claire sophomore Danielle Schulzetenberg was victorious on the balance beam, while UW-Stout senior Naomi DeLara won the floor exercise.

Gabi Hooper of UW-La Crosse tied with DeLara in the floor exercise and also captured the vault (9.625) at last year's event. Justine Weyer of UW-Whitewater took the uneven bars (9.650), and Meghan Hargens of UW-Stout successfully defended her all-around title with a 37.875.

In all, 14 competitors who earned all-conference honors at last year's championship are scheduled to compete. The top six in each event will earn All-WIAC accolades.

Five teams are ranked among the finest in the country based on the latest NCGA rankings. UW-Whitewater leads the WIAC quintet with a third-place ranking, while UW-La Crosse is fourth, Winona State seventh, UW-Eau Claire eighth and UW-Stout ninth.