LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Gustavus gymnastics team dropped a dual meet at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Friday evening by the score of 179.475-188.250. The loss drops to the Gusties to 1-4 in WIAC dual meets this season, while the Eagles improve to a league-leading 4-0.
Gustavus posted scores of 46.675 on vault, 45.200 on beam, 44.725 on floor, and 42.875 on bars.
“Our score is getting very steady,” Head Coach Aryn Bell said. “Bars started off the meet rocky as we added more difficulty into routines. I am proud of them for going for their new skills, now it’s time to clean them up.”
Alex Kopp (Jr., Wayzata, Minn.) once again paced the Gusties, posting the team’s top scores in three of four events, including the all-around. Kopp’s 9.575 on the vault is a career-high. The Providence Academy product tallied a 9.100 on bars, 9.575 on floor, and 8.800 on beam for an all-around total of 37.050, which was good enough for first place.
“Alex lead the team again today,” Bell said. “She won the meet and did well on three events.”
Vault has been consistently the best event for the Gusties all season long as all six competitors scored over 9.1, leading to a season-high score. Amanda Malo (Fy., Greenwood, Minn.) and Kate Schneider (So., Albany, Minn.) each posted a 9.300, while Lauren Kershner (Jr., Marine, Ill.) was close behind at 9.275.
On the beam, Rachel Thiner (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) had an impressive showing with a season-high 9.475. Kershner also went over nine at 9.275. Behind Kopp on the floor was Emily Anderson (So., Mendota Heights, Minn.) at 8.925. And on the bars, Anderson was second on the team with an 8.800.
“I was very proud of Emily Anderson for hitting her routine with the new skill added,” Bell said. “Vault was our best of the year. They fought for everything. Floor was rough for us. They had a hard time adjusting to the equipment. It was certainly a learning experience and they are ready to adjust and move forward. Beam was solid. Even with falls they preformed the way they perform in practice, hitting connections and fighting for every tenth. The line up got switched this week and Rachel Thiner led us off. She stepped into the role flawlessly and nailed her routine for a season high.”
Gustavus has a quick turnaround as it returns to the gym at 1 p.m. Sunday at Hamline.
“It will be a big test for us with so little time to make adjustments between the meets but it will set us up well in the final stretch of the season,” Bell said.