Titans, Eagles Set For Nationally Ranked Showdown

UW-Oshkosh faces a stiff women's gymnastics challenge when it hosts four-time defending national champion UW-La Crosse on Friday (Feb. 10) at 6:30 p.m. in Kolf Sports Center.

UW-La Crosse averages 182.955 points per meet to rank third in the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) by GymInfo. UW-Oshkosh ranks 11th in the country with an average meet score of 175.845.

These two squads captured every WIAC championship from 1978 to 2009. UW-La Crosse won 13 consecutive league titles from 1997-2009. This year’s Eagles have won their last two meets – the John Zuerlein Invitational on Jan. 27 and the Gershon/McClellan Invitational on Feb. 3.

At the Gershon/McClellan Invitational, UW-La Crosse posted a season-best score of 184.425. The Eagles obtained 47.15 of those points on the balance beam, including a winning tally of 9.60 from Rachel Budelier.

UW-Oshkosh is coming off a 176.25-175.85 victory over Hamline University (Minn.) on Feb. 4. The Titans also excelled on the beam with 44.85 points. Leah Herchenbach (Fr. • Libertyville, Ill.) placed second on the apparatus with 9.45 points, while Jill Lindberg (Sr. • Meridian, Idaho) finished fourth at 9.175.

UW-Oshkosh's other victory this season came by a 176.40-168.20 score over Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) on Jan. 21. In that victory, Leane Blais (Fr. • Salisbury, N.C.) won the uneven bars, Lindberg the balance beam and Herchenbach the all-around competition.

UW-La Crosse has several gymnasts ranked among the nation's elite. Christa Booman ranks second on the uneven bars with an average score of 9.563 and fifth in the all-around competition at 36.958. The Eagles ' Morgan Shene ranks third on the balance beam and fourth on the uneven bars with average scores of 9.442 and 9.400, respectively.

Blais owns UW-Oshkosh's highest national ranking. She rates ninth on the uneven bars with an average score of 9.260.