The Divison III season wrapped up on Saturday, with the champion team earning its accolades thanks to a record-breaking performance. Putting up numbers that could have contended for a few DI conference crowns on the same day, the NCGA dominantly concluded its season.
Oh My Oshkosh
The dominant Titans are the NCGA champions, establishing that their other two wins were no fluke. These now three-peat champs are all heart, hustle, toe point, and sticks. Atop the podium, with a Division III record score of 194.975, the Titans had a 1.400 lead over second and 1.800 over third place. When we said dominant, we meant it. Rounding out the podium were Whitewater and La Crosse, with Brockport missing by just a tenth. Although Brockport seems to have shaken its post-season beam curse—Cortland having picked up that beam-flu instead—those wobbles and checks added up. Not to mention the team was without Rachel Swick, the top bar worker of that squad, due to an injury that took her out on floor on Friday during practice. Oshkosh topped every event but bars, with program records of 48.650 on vault and 49.200 on floor leading the way.
Individual Hardware
While the East may not be packing a team banner, Olivia Keyes, NCGA Senior Athlete of the Year, from Rhode Island took home the bronze in the all-around, topped by Springfield’s Sophia LeBlanc with silver, and Oshkosh added some more hardware with Emily Buffington in first with a big 39.175. For a fun comparison, the top all-around score at the GEC was a 39.300, from Skyelar Kerico of Penn, a 39.375 from Southern Utah’s Niya Randolph topped the MPSF, and Buffington’s score would have taken first over Lindenwood’s Jaly Jones in the MIC all-around by a slim margin.
Buffington also took home top honors on bars as she tied with Whitewater’s Hayden Gough at 9.850. Oshkosh had another double winner in Mia Lucero, earning the floor crown with a 9.900 and tying Maren Eramo of Brockport on vault with a 9.825. Individual qualifier Bryce Stoltz from Winona State took home the beam title with a 9.850.
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Article by Allison Freeman and Brandis Heffner
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