This story is sponsored by: Chili Implement
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield gymnastics team won its fifth-straight conference championship, having to go without its top performer, as it finished first in the Large School Division at the Great Northern Conference Gymnastics Meet on Saturday at Marshfield High School.
Marshfield’s Ellie Jensen, who had won the all-around title in each of the Tigers’ Great Northern Conference meets during the regular season, missed the meet with an injury and her teammates managed to pull through anyway.
Phoebe Hernandez won the balance beam with a score of 8.95 and tied teammate Paige Treutel for second in the vault (8.65), and Solenne Lonsdale also earned a runner-up finish in the uneven bars (8.65) for the Tigers, who finished with a team score of 135.475 points, 9/10th of a point ahead of second-place Medford.
Lonsdale tied for fourth in the vault (8.6), Kyra Huff and Jade Scholl tied for fourth in the beam (8.7), and Abby Pietsch tied for fourth in the uneven bars (8.35) to also help Marshfield’s cause.
“The girls definitely had a strong showing today,” Marshfield coach Allie Siemandel said. “Our senior captain and team leader Ellie Jensen was out today with an injury. She has had a dominant Great Northern Conference regular season, winning the all-around at every regular season GNC meet leading up to championships. With her off of the competition lineup, the girls demonstrated their depth and resilience and pulled out several big performances to win the GNC championship meet and title.”
Marshfield will compete at the WIAA Division 1 sectional at Chippewa Falls next Saturday, Feb. 25. Competition begins at 11 a.m. The top two teams, and top five individuals in all four events and the all-around will qualify for the 2023 WIAA State Gymnastics Championships. The team state meet is Friday, March 3, and the individual state meet is Saturday, March 4, at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School.
2023 Great Northern Conference Gymnastics Meet
Feb. 18, at Marshfield High School
Large School Division
Team scores: 1. Marshfield 135.475; 2. Medford 134.575; 3. Wisconsin Rapids 133.85; 4. Stevens Point 130.325.
All-around: 1. Kyla Krause (MED) 35.025; 2. Kate Malchow (MED) 34.45; 3. Destinee Steinhafel (WR) 33.7; 4. Paige Treutel (MAR) 33.325; 5. Olivia Mantermach (SP) 32.3.
Vault: 1. Krause (MED) 9.25; 2. Treutel (MAR) and Phoebe Hernandez (MAR) 8.65; 4. Malchow (MED), Fiona Gaugert (WR) and Solenne Lonsdale (MAR) 8.6; 10. Abby Pietsch (MAR) 8.45; 16. Kyra Huff (MAR) 8.275.
Balance beam: 1. Hernandez (MAR) 8.95; 2. Emily Hartjes (WR) 8.8; 3. Mia Chavez (WR) 8.75; 4. Huff (MAR) and Jade Scholl (MAR) 8.7; 7. Treutel (MAR) 8.5; 15. Serenah Tippett (MAR) 8.0.
Uneven bars: 1. Malchow (MED) 8.7; 2. Lonsdale (MAR) 8.65; 3. Chloe Gresl (SP) 8.45; 4. Krause (MED) and Pietsch (MAR) 8.35; 8. Treutel (MAR) and Tippett (MAR) 8.0; 17. Karsyn Miller (MAR) 7.45.
Floor exercise: 1. Krause (MED) and Malchow (MED) 8.975; 3. Gaugert (WR) 8.85; 4. Steinhafel (WR) 8.8; 5. Maggie Behnke (SP) 8.75; 6. Pietsch (MAR) 8.725; 8. Tippett (MAR) 8.525; 12. Treutel (MAR) 8.175; 17. Lonsdale (MAR) 7.85; 20. Hernandez (MAR) 7.6.
Small School Division
Team scores: 1. Ashland 131.15; 2. Antigo 129.675; 3. Mosinee 120.55.
All-around: 1. Avery Ahles (MOS) and Tessa McFarlane (ASH) 33.425; 3. Leanna Lipske (ASH) 33.075; 4. Andrea Shestak (ANT) 32.925; 5. Hazel McPhall (ANT) 32.475.
Vault: 1. McFarlane (ASH) and Ahles (MOS) 8.625; 3. Shestak (ANT) 8.6; 4. Brianna Chelberg (MOS) 8.45; 5. Brianna Quaderer (ANT) 8.375.
Uneven bars: 1. Shestak (ANT) 8.3; 2. Jaycee Erickson (ASH) 8.25; 3. Lipske (ASH) 8.15; 4. Ahles (MOS) 8.1; 5. Ella Pearson (ASH) 7.9.
Balance beam: 1. Lipske (ASH) 8.8; 2. Ahles (MOS) 8.75; 3. Hazel McPhall (ANT) 8.65; 4. McFarlane (ASH) 8.4; 5. Ali Vittone (ASH) 8.35.
Floor exercise: 1. McFarlane (ASH) 8.6; 2. McPhall (ANT) 8.425; 3. Shestak (ANT) 8.225; 4. Lipske (ASH) 8.2; 5. Bella Cmaylo (ANT) 8.0.