With the Division III season officially closed, it’s about time to peak at the final report card of the semester. If you missed NCGA nationals, it was an exciting event that came down to the final rotation. Ultimately UW-Oshkosh had the last laugh, defending the national title. Take a peak at how some of the top teams in DIII stacked up and what we have to look forward to in the future of these programs.
2023 was a season to remember with program records being broken left and right. Luckily it will be DIII gymnastics season again before we know it!
Top of the Class
UW-Oshkosh
| Vault: B | Bars: C+ | Beam: A- | Floor: B+ |
Compliments: With its back against the wall, the Titans put a subpar bar rotation behind it to fight for the national title on beam in the final rotation. It’s one thing to win a back-to-back national championship, and it’s another to earn it on beam when the team nipping at your heels is on floor—truly an impressive feat.
Looking Forward: UWO will be missing some staples next year in Trinity Sawyer, Kennedy Springer, Haley Volstad, Adana Amor and Rahdea Jarvis. With all graduating seniors contributing routines at the national championship level, it’s safe to say that next year’s team will look a bit different. However, Oshkosh sports a large roster of athletes hungry to make history, so only time will tell.
UW-La Crosse
| Vault: B+ | Bars: B | Beam: C+ | Floor: A- |
Compliments: As the season went on, vault only got better and better. The Eagles started out hot on vault and tried to keep things rolling. After an abnormal beam rotation, La Crosse finished strong on floor coming just two-tenths away from claiming victory. Rachel Chesley really shined under the bright lights, claiming the national bar title with a personal best mark.
Looking Forward: 2023 seemed like it was La Crosse’s year to contend for a national championship. Although the team fell just short, not all hope is lost. Underclassmen really started stepping into their own this year and will likely lead the next team into the future. The team is going to be losing around ten competitive routines heading into 2024, so that’s nothing to scoff at.
Honor Roll
UW-Stout
| Vault: B- | Bars: D | Beam: B+ | Floor: C+ |
Compliments: UW-Stout was definitely the surprise of the postseason. After falling just short of a bid to nationals last season, the Blue Devils took full advantage of their opportunity in 2023. While other teams struggled on beam, Stout showed us all how it’s supposed to be done.
Looking Forward: Luckily, the Blue Devils won’t be graduating many routines this year, so many of the same building blocks for lineups will be on the roster next season. Considering how well Stout performed in 2023, the odds seem to be in its favor. Kiara Brown really shined as an all-around competitor this year, so don’t expect that to slow down as she steps into her senior campaign.
Springfield
| Vault: B- | Bars: D- | Beam: B+ | Floor: A- |
Compliments: Springfield pulled out all the stops, claiming a season-high score at NCGAs. The Pride walked away with two individual national championships with Devon Rosier and Christina Wygonik taking the beam and floor title, respectively. Oh, and Annie Kiley broke the vault record for the second time this year to claim All-America honors and a spot on the podium.
Looking Forward: Springfield is losing some heavy hitters heading into 2024, including both national champions and fifth year MacKenzie MacLeod. Bars is likely to be the biggest hit, which hardens the blow since that was the area with the most limited depth in 2023.
Plenty of Potential
Brockport
| Vault: A- | Bars: D- | Beam: D+ | Floor: B |
Compliments: The leg events held down the fort. Vault was amazing, highlighted by strong stuck landings and a Yurchenko one and a half from Sydney Schumaker that was good enough for second place on the event.
Looking Forward: This is the second year in a row that Brockport came in as the top seed, and fell quite short of even a regular meet on the big stage. Something’s gotta give because the drastic downhill slope from the regular season to postseason seems to be starting a trend.
UW-Whitewater
| Vault: B+ | Bars: B- | Beam: C- | Floor: A- |
Compliments: Although Whitewater narrowly missed sending a team to nationals, the Warhawks were well represented, earning a vault national championship as well as several All-America honors. Sarah Knetzke reasserted that she is the real deal on beam, while Kara Welsh stuck her Yurchenko full like it was a walk in the park.
Looking Forward: Whitewater has a roster stacked with underclassman itching to get their feet wet in the NCAA. Expect many of the same staples to continue to lead the way, including Kelsey Kollhoff, who had a great season after an elbow injury in the fall. “Depth for days” should be an understatement in 2024, so don’t expect the Warhawks not to come out swinging for the fences.
Room for Improvement
Ithaca
| Vault: C+ | Bars: D- | Beam: D- | Floor: A- |
Compliments: Ithaca was in the lead after two rotations. The way the team absolutely demolished floor left spectators speechless. The Bombers picked the wrong day to have their worst team beam of the year, a surprise from a team who’s scored as high as 48.825 on the event in 2023.
Looking Forward: Ithaca has a fairly young team, but the routines it is graduating will be big ones. Most notably, program record holder Cameryn Nichols has completed her fourth season. Will the Bombers be able to keep things rolling without her and the rest of her star-studded class?
Rhode Island
| Vault: C | Bars: D- | Beam: C+ | Floor: B |
Compliments: RIC was another team that narrowly missed a national championship appearance, falling just short to Ithaca in the last possible moment at regionals. Kelsey Gates, Olivia Keyes, and Emma Tucker represented the Anchorwomen after leading the team all year. Gates finally earned her flowers, with her unique Rudi to back full on floor getting recognized with a national title.
Looking Forward: With Gates’ graduation, there will be some large shoes to fill. However, the Anchorwomen have been on the rise the last two seasons, so don’t be surprised if this team continues to make some noise in the years to come.
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Article by Tavia Smith
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