The Gustavus gymnastics team turned in a strong performance against Winona State on Friday night, but the Warriors prevailed by the score of 170.70 to 170.325. First year standout Christine Askham (Arvada, Colo.) finished first in the floor exercise (8.875) and tied for first on the uneven parallel bars with teammate Laura Hansen (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) with a score of 8.75.
The Gusties improved their team score by almost two full points over their opening meet total of 168.50 on January 7 at Wisconsin-Whitewater. Coach Kris Glidden’s squad scored 44.75 on the vault, 41.15 on the uneven parallel bars, 41.85 on the balance beam and 42.575 on the floor exercise.
On the vault, Gustavus placed five competitors in the top five including Brittany Moore (JR, Plymouth, Minn./St. Louis Park), who finished second at 9.175, Emily Pickford (FY, Minnetonka, Minn./Perpich Center), who finished third at 9.125, and Danielle Abel (SR, Blue Earth, Minn.), who placed fifth at 8.90.
On the uneven parallel bars, Gustavus got strong performances from first year competitors Christine Askham and Laura Hansen who tied for first at 8.75. Sophomore Audrey Schenewerk (Baldwin City, Kansas) placed seventh with a total of 8.175.
On the balance beam, first year competitor Jaime Tsurusaki (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) led the team with a third place score of 8.50. Laura Hansen finished fourth at 8.45 and Christine Askham placed fifth with a total of 8.40.
Gustavus finished the meet on the floor exercise and Christine Askham entertained the crowd with a first place routine that received a score of 8.875. Emily Pickford finished third with a score of 8.70, and first year competitor Catherine Osterhaus (Eagan, Minn.) placed seventh with a score of 8.60.
The Gusties will travel to Oshkosh, Wisconsin next Saturday for a dual meet against the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.