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MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MEDFORD – Hanna Merkel tied for the win in the uneven bars and won the all-around title as the Marshfield gymnastics team opened its season with a second-place finish at the Medford Invitational on Saturday.
Medford won the team title with 132.6 points, less than one point ahead of Marshfield, which finished with 131.65.
Merkel and Medford’s Anna Wanke tied for first in the uneven bars with scores of 8.15.
Medford swept the other three events outright as Kyla Krause won the vault (8.8), Makala Ulrich won the floor exercise (8.725) and Kate Malchow was first in the balance beam (9.25).
Merkel also finished second in the balance beam (9.25), was fourth in the floor (8.475) and tied for fourth in the vault (8.45) for the Tigers.
Ellie Jensen took third in the beam (8.55), and Solenne Lonsdale tied for third in the bars (8.0) and tied for fifth in the beam (8.3) to also snag top-five finishes for Marshfield.
Marshfield will compete with Arcadia at the La Crosse Logan Triangular on Tuesday and the Rhinelander Invitational on Saturday.
Medford Gymnastics Invitational
Dec. 4, at Medford Elementary School
Team scores: 1. Medford 132.6; 2. Marshfield 131.65; 3. Rice Lake 115.3; 4. Mosinee 114.1; 5. Tomah 110.2.
All-around: 1. Hanna Merkel (MAR) 34.125; 2. Kate Malchow (MED) 33.6; 3. Anna Wanke (MED) 33.525; 4. Kyla Krause (MED) 32.55; 5. Makala Ulrich (MED) 32.475; 8. Serenah Tippett (MAR) 31.55.
Vault: 1. Krause (MED) 8.8; 2. Ahles (MOS) 8.6; 3; Sophie Nikolay (MAR) 8.55; 4. Merkel (MAR) and Ellie Jensen (MAR) 8.45; 6. Wanke (MED), Tippett (MAR) and Phoebe Hernandez (MAR) 8.4.
Floor exercise: 1. Ulrich (MED) 8.725; 2. Wanke (MED) 8.675; 3. Krause (MED) 8.5; 4. Merkel (MAR) 8.475; 5. Avery Ash (RL) 8.45; 6. Abby Pietsch (MAR) 8.375; 7. Hernandez (MAR) 8.25; 11. Tippett (MAR) 7.6; 14. Casey Frankland (MAR) 7.375.
Balance beam: 1. Malchow (MED) 9.25; 2. Merkel (MAR) 9.05; 3. Jensen (MAR) 8.55; 4. Payton Foster (TOM) 8.45; 5. Wanke (MED) and Solenne Lonsdale (MAR) 8.3; 8. Kyra Huff (MAR) 7.95; 9. Tippett (MAR) 7.75.
Uneven bars: 1. Merkel (MAR) and Wanke (MED) 8.15; 3. Krause (MED) and Lonsdale (MAR) 8.0; 5. Malchow (MED) 7.9; 6. Tippett (MAR) 7.8; 11. Jensen (MAR) 7.3; 13. Viv Nikolai (MAR) 7.1.