The Gustavus Adolphus gymnastics team finished first at the four-team John Zuerlein Invitational at the Univerisity of Wisconsin-Stout Friday in Menomonie, Wis. The Gusties took top team honors in three of four disciplines, including five scores of 8.950 or over in the vault and three more on the floor exercise. Gustavus edged UW-Stout for the title 175.125-174.075, with UW-Whitewater finishing third (172.175) and UW-Eau Claire taking fourth (167.450). The 175.125 posted by Gustavus is the best team score recorded in four competitions this season.
Starting on the uneven bars, Gustavus posted a meet-best team score of 42.650. Laura Hansen (So., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) led the Gusties with a third-place individual score of 8.825. Christine Askham (So., Arvada, Colo./West) finished fourth with an 8.750, while Kathleen Ozbun (Sr., St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) tied for sixth with an 8.600. Laurel Urquhart (Fy., Great Falls, Mont./Great Falls) placed ninth with an 8.475, Emily Pickford (So., Minnetonka, Minn./Perpich Center) added an 8.000, and Audrey Schenewerk rounded out the Gustavus effort with a 7.350.
Pickford led the way for Gustavus on the balance beam with a seventh-place score of 8.675, while Urquhart and Jaime Tsurusaki (So., Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) tied for ninth with scores of 8.575. Hansen added a score of 8.275, Kelsie Droogsma (Jr., Elk River, Minn./Elk River) posted an 8.225, and Nicole Gergen (Sr., Hastings, Minn./Hastings) recorded an 8.175.
The Gusties took four of the top nine places in their next event, the floor exercise, led by Askham, who posted the meet’s top score with a 9.400. Senior Brittany Moore (Plymouth, Minn./St. Louis Park) placed third with a 9.125, just ahead of Gergen, who finished sixth place with an 8.950. Droogsma posted a score of 8.800 to finish ninth, while Stephanie Lovik (Sr., Rochester, Minn./Century) added an 8.225 and Jennifer Berglund (So., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) scored an 8.150.
Closing on the vault, the Gusties placed four gymnasts in the top seven, but were edged out for top individual honors. UW-Eau Claire’s Anna Sutherland recorded the top individual score on the appartus with a 9.375, just ahead of Gustavus’ Brittany Moore with a 9.325. Askham finished tied for fourth with a 9.150, Pickford was sixth with a 9.125, and Ozbun was seventh with a 9.100. Christina Sorenson (Fy., Worthington, Minn./Worthington) added an 8.950 and Aryn Bell (So., Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) posted an 8.400.
UW-Stout’s Meghan Hargens finished first on the uneven bars (8.925) and the balance beam (9.375), fourth on the floor exercise (9.100), and 11th on the vault (8.950) to take the all-around title with a score of 36.350, edging teammate Ashley Timm (35.850).
Gustavus will host Hamline Friday, Feb. 2 in a WIAC dual.