La Crosse, Wis. – The Gustavus Adolphus gymnastics team placed fourth with a score of 173.450 at the 32nd Annual Gershon/McLellan Invitational held Friday night in Mitchell Hall. Host UW-La Crosse won the four-team meet with a score of 184.525, while Winona State placed second with a 182.625, and UW-Oshkosh took third with a 179.500.
The Gusties recorded individual event scores of 44.025 on the vault, 41.025 on the uneven parallel bars, 43.675 on the balance beam, and a 44.725 on the floor exercise. Gustavus’ marks on the bars and floor are both season-bests. The team’s previous high on the bars was a 40.300 recorded at the Hamline Invite, while its previous high on the floor was a 44.500 registered at the Gustie Triangular.
Coming off being named the WIAC Specialist-of-the-Week for her performance on the beam at the John Zuerlein Invitational last weekend, Samantha Opsahl (Sr., Forest Lake, Minn.) posted a pair of top 10 finishes Friday night in La Crosse. Opsahl placed eighth on the beam with a score of 9.300 and eighth on the floor with a score of 9.250. The senior’s performance on the floor was a season-best, topping her previous high of 9.200 set last weekend.
Other top individual performers for Gustavus included Kacy Lorber (Jr., Ashland, Wis.) and Jamie Ries (Jr., Monticello, Minn.). Lorber came in ninth on the vault with a 9.050, and Ries placed tenth on the bars with a season-best 8.950. Ries was also Gustavus’ top all-around performer with a score of 34.750.
UW-La Crosse’s Sheree Romesburg won the all-around competition with a score of 37.100. Romesburg was also the individual champion on the vault after scoring a 9.400.
Eagle gymnasts swept the individual events by taking the remaining events. Christa Booman won the bars with a 9.550 and the beam with a 9.625, while teammate Katie Palluck won the floor with a 9.675,
The Gustavus gymnastics team will be back on the mat later this weekend when it travels to Winona, Minn. to face Winona State in a dual on Super Bowl Sunday. The meet is set for 1:00 p.m.