Titans Begin 2022 Gymnastics Season In Minnesota
After a quadrangular at the University of California, Davis and a home triangular with UW-Stout and UW-Whitewater were removed from its schedule due to COVID-19 related protocols, the UW-Oshkosh women's gymnastics team is finally ready to kick off its 2022 season.
The Titans begin their new season Friday (Jan. 14) when they travel to Saint Paul, Minn., for a quadrangular hosted by Hamline University. The meet will also include gymnasts from Minnesota schools Gustavus Adolphus College and Winona State University.
UW-Oshkosh was originally scheduled to open its season at the University of California, Davis on Jan. 9, but COVID issues within the UW-Oshkosh program canceled the trip and denied the Titans the opportunity to compete with the host Aggies; California State University, Sacramento; and Michigan State University.
UW-Oshkosh was later slated to open its season Friday (Jan. 14) in Kolf Sports Center against UW-Stout and UW-Whitewater, but COVID issues within the two visiting programs forced the cancelation of the meet.
Following Friday's new season-opening meet in Minnesota, UW-Oshkosh travels to UW-Eau Claire for a dual contest on Jan. 20.
The Titans then journey to Eastern Michigan University for a quadrangular on Jan. 28. Gymnasts from Ball State University (Ind.) and Western Michigan University will also compete with UW-Oshkosh and the host Eagles in the meet.
UW-Oshkosh's home opener is now slated for Feb. 3 in Kolf Sports Center against Hamline University. The Titans then visit Winona State University on Feb. 10 before returning home to battle UW-La Crosse on Feb. 18.
UW-Oshkosh concludes the regular season at Gustavus Adolphus College on Feb. 26.
The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship, which is held in conjunction with the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association West Regional, is planned for March 5 at UW-Whitewater. UW-Oshkosh is the reigning WIAC champion after the 2021 meet was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
UW-Oshkosh won the 2020 WIAC title with 189.675 points to slip past UW-Whitewater's second-place score of 189.425 and UW-La Crosse's third-place count of 189.350. The conference championship was the 15th in UW-Oshkosh history and first since 1996.
UW-Stout placed fourth at the 2020 league meet with 186.925 points while Hamline University finished fifth with 184.925, Winona State University sixth with 182.100, UW-Eau Claire seventh with 177.075 and Gustavus Adolphus College eighth with 175.925.
The NCGA Championship, which has been canceled the past two seasons due to the pandemic, is scheduled for March 26 in Ithaca, N.Y.
The College at Brockport (N.Y.) won the 2019 NCGA title with 191.050 points while UW-Stout finished second with 190.275.
Completing the 2019 national team finishes were third-place UW-Whitewater with 190.150 points, fourth-place UW-Oshkosh with 189.400, fifth-place Ithaca College with 187.975 and sixth-place State University of New York at Cortland with 185.500.
UW-Oshkosh 15th-year head coach Lauren Karnitz, the 2019 and 2020 NCGA Coach of the Year, welcomes back 14 previous letterwinners to this year's team, including four prior All-Americans in seniors Emily Gilot, Kaira Hammond and Rahdea Jarvis, and junior Trinity Sawyer.
Gilot and Sawyer received NCGA All-America awards on the vault in 2020 after qualifying for the national meet that was canceled due to the pandemic.
Gilot, the 2020 WIAC vault champion, also earned All-America Second Team honors two years ago on the vault from the Women's Gymnastics Coaches Association since earning NCGA All-America accolades on the vault and in the floor exercise in 2019.
Hammond and Jarvis, the 2020 WIAC runner-up in the floor exercise, were 2019 NCGA All-Americans on the uneven bars and vault, respectively.
Completing the Titans' returning group of letterwinners are seniors Olivia Keller, Haley Minor, Rachel Morris and Alyssa Nore; juniors Adana Amor, Leia Randall and Haley Volstad; and sophomores Kaylie Berens, Emily Buffington and Audrey Koester.