St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus gymnastics team suffered a 184.525-176.850 loss to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in its final home meet of the season on Saturday in the Lund Center Gymnastics Studio.
Junior Jamie Ries (Monticello, Minn.) turned in Gustavus’s top performance of the dual by winning the uneven parallel bars competition with a score of 9.325, which matches her season-best score set earlier this year against Hamline on Feb. 8. Ries also won the all-around with a combined score of 36.150. She placed fourth on the floor with a season-high 9.425, ninth on the vault (8.975), and 10th on the beam (8.425).
Gustavus posted individual event scores of 45.525 on the vault, 42.725 on the bars, 43.125 on the beam, and 45.475 on the floor. UW-La Crosse went 46.100 on the vault, 44.600 on the bars, 46.500 on the beam, and 47.325 on the floor.
Bailey Zeinert (Sr., Oshkosh, Wis.) also recorded a finish on the podium by taking second on the vault with a season-best score of 9.300. Zeinert also competed in the all-around and finished second behind Ries with a score of 35.325.
Samantha Opsahl (Sr., Forest Lake, Minn.) rounded out the top Gustie performers with a pair fifth place marks. She went 9.225 on the vault and then scored a 9.100 on the beam.
UW-La Crosse’s Angela Stein won the vault with a 9.350, Jessica Herrmann captured the beam with a 9.475, and Tegan Oare took the floor exercise with a 9.575.
The Gustavus gymnastics team will now prepare for the WIAC Championships set to take place on Saturday, March 9. The WIAC Championships, which also serves as the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association West Region qualifier, will be held at the Kolf Sports Center on the campus of UW-Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wis. March-in begins at 5:30 p.m. with competition starting at 6:00 p.m.
It was also Senior Day at the Gymnastics Studio as five Golden Gustie seniors were honored for the commitment to the Gustavus gymnastics program for the past four years. The Gustavus Athletics Department extends a sincere thank you to this year’s seniors Amanda Christensen (Albany, Minn.), Tiffany Etterman (East Gull Lake, Minn.), Samantha Opsahl, Shelby Winzent (Sr, Golden, Colo.), and Bailey Zeinert for their hard work and commitment to excellence.