Despite losing many talented seniors who performed some of the top routines in the conference, this year should be one of growth and improvement in the WIAC. There are a number of big freshman classes with a lot of under-the-radar talent spread throughout. Don’t expect any crazy or unexpected shifts in the rankings this year, but watch for signs of future success from the lower half.
While there’s still so much uncertainty surrounding the upcoming season, it’s business as usual until we hear otherwise. That means it’s time for our annual potential lineups analysis! With preseason training in full swing for most teams, we’re breaking it all down and taking a look at every squad’s prospects for 2021—from who’s expected to contribute, holes that need to be filled and exciting upgrades fans should look out for.
Note: Only Hamline, Stout and Winona have updated their rosters. Losses were determined by who was listed as a senior on the 2020 rosters and social media retirement posts, and gains were determined by social media announcements.
No. 68 Whitewater
It took a while to get into the swing of things, but Whitewater started to peak right when it needed to and ended its season with a second place conference finish. The Warhawks only have a few routines to replace and have plenty of newcomers to help. One thing that is particularly exciting is the arrival of transfer Abigail Hair, who was on the 2017-18 Florida roster.
| Losses: | Acacia Fossum (UB, BB, FX), Lauren Marshall (VT, BB), Jessi Rondeau (VT, UB), Ashleigh Turek (VT, UB) |
| Gains: | Estee Flom, Lauren Goble, Abigail Hair (senior transfer from Florida), Kelsey Kollhoff, Sarah Knetzke, Kennedy O’Connor, Maycee Smith, Ashlyn Vlcko |
Vault
Potential Contributors: Blaise Wilson (9.550), Emily North (9.450), Faith Mylin (9.435), Rachel Lewellen (9.415), Morgan McEntire (9.350), Meg McGinley, Taiya Stemachowski, Abby Kappler, Estee Flom, Lauren Goble, Abigail Hair, Kelsey Kollhoff, Maycee Smith, Ashlyn Vlcko
How It Looked Before: Vault was a strong event for the Warhawks. They finished the season ranked first in the NCGA and above both SCSU and Alaska as well thanks in part to a beautiful Yurchenko layout full from Lauren Marshall.
How It Looks Now: It is going to be tough to replace Marshall’s vault, but on the bright side the rest of the lineup remains intact. The most likely to step in and fill the gap is Abigail Hair who has a Yurchenko layout full. Kelsey Kollhoff also brings a Yurchenko layout full that needs a bit of form work but has potential to be a big score down the road.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? About the same.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Blaise Wilson (9.535), Emily North (9.320), Taiya Stemachowski (9.275), Morgan McEntire (8.710), Faith Mylin (8.480), Brooke Lutz, Estee Flom, Kelsey Kollhoff, Maycee Smith, Ashlyn Vlcko
How It Looked Before: Bars was a bit rough last season, and the team hung out in the 44.000-45.000 range much longer than we would expect from a top DIII team.
How It Looks Now: There are a few freshmen who will provide some much needed depth to this event. Estee Flom’s set is the cleanest of the bunch with a nice piked Jaeger and floaty pak. She’s also training a full-out dismount. Ashlyn Vlcko and Kohloff show potential but need some cleanup work to be competitive.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell. It will depend if little form issues from the returners have been worked out and if the freshmen can be a little more consistent than their JO scores demonstrate.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Blaise Wilson (9.550), Emily North (9.480), Karina Sabol (9.425), Faith Mylin (9.325), Vanessa Olinger, Alex Lacey, Abby Kappler, Morgan McEntire, Meg McGinley, Estee Flom, Lauren Goble, Abigail Hair, Sarah Knetzke, Kelsey Kollhoff, Maycee Smith
How It Looked Before: Besides a few off meets, the Warhawk beam lineup was fairly solid and really started to find its groove by the end of the season.
How It Looks Now: Senior Vanessa Olinger secured a lineup spot during the last few meets of 2020 and was a solid competitor. Watch for her to be a major contributor from the get-go this season. As for newcomers, Lauren Goble, Hair and Kollhoff have scored in the 9.400-plus range in JO and could be solid options.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Karina Sabol (9.725), Blaise Wilson (9.560), Faith Mylin (9.535), Vanessa Olinger (9.495), Meg McGinley (9.025), Emily North, Alex Lacey, Abby Kappler, Estee Flom, Lauren Goble, Abigail Hair, Kelsey Kollhoff, Sarah Knetzke, Kennedy O’Connor, Maycee Smith
How It Looked Before: This was a consistently strong event for the Warhawks. One of the most impressive and memorable moments of the 2020 NCGA season was that Karina Sabol was the first competitor of all the teams to do her floor routine at conference and still ended up winning the event.
How It Looks Now: Things look good for the Warhawks. They will need one strong routine to replace Acacia Fossum, but there are plenty of capable gymnasts. Yet again, Goble, Hair and Kollhoff will be competing for a lineup spot. However, it is Maycee Smith who really stands out in terms of technique and performance quality. She competed level 9 so the difficulty is not quite there yet, but if she can get her skills up to a competitive level, she will be fantastic on this event.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Overall Outlook
The momentum the Warhawks were showing at the end of 2020 should allow them to see success earlier in the season than they have the past two years. This team will be in the mix for a conference and national title, but to make its case a bit stronger, there will need to be some major improvements in the bar lineup.
No. 70 La Crosse
After missing nationals, La Crosse bounced back and finished third in a tight conference competition. This year, the Eagles have a larger team than usual and only a few sets they need to replace. If everyone brings what they are capable of to the competition floor, this should be a great year.
| Losses: | Jessica Ahrens (VT, BB), Brittany Gutzkow (UB, FX), Brooke Kachinsky (UB, BB) |
| Gains: | Keira Boetel, Kaitlyn Farley, Hannah Hautala, Eleanore Scherwinski, Eugenie Schraufnagel, Claudia Walter, Marisa Zepeda |
Vault
Potential Contributors: Audrey Kaufman (9.550), Megan Hawkins (9.530), Emma Grant (9.460), Kacey Mortenson (9.320), Madi Vanderpool, Alex Wood, Alexis Sands, Jenna Danninger, Olivia Opheim, Katie Saladin, Faith Sersland, Keira Boetel, Hannah Hautala
How It Looked Before: This lineup was clean and consistent but lacked the difficulty needed to regularly bring in those 9.500-plus scores that the top DIII teams are striving for and need to be in the mix for titles.
How It Looks Now: The Eagles showed many difficult vaults at their recent intrasquad, including two Yurchenko layout fulls from Megan Hawkins and Madi Vanderpool. Perhaps the most exciting vault, however, was a Yurchenko full-on + tuck off from freshman Hannah Hautala. Although it’s not likely that all of the upgrades will be competition-ready this season, even if just a few pan out, it will boost the team’s scoring potential.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Kerrie Legault (9.650), Madi Vanderpool (9.455), Kacey Mortenson (9.290), Molly Lyngaas, Cate Sandvik, Emma Grant, Jordyn Faust, Katie Saladin, Alex Wood, Hannah Hautala, Eugenie Schraufnagel, Claudia Walter
How It Looked Before: Bars was the Eagle’s strongest event in 2020.
How It Looks Now: Senior Molly Lyngaas is the most likely returner to score big, but freshman Claudia Walter has a nice set that could also produce a good score once her Jaeger becomes more consistent. An exciting routine to watch for is freshman Eugenie Schraufnagel, who competes a unique back giant + hop change + Ezhova.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Emma Grant (9.535), Olivia Opheim (9.475), Faith Sersland (9.375), Kacey Mortenson (9.375), Audrey Kaufman, Jordyn Faust, Megan Hawkins, Alexis Sands, Jenna Danninger, Cate Sandvik, Kerrie Legault, Katie Saladin, Madi Vanderpool, Hannah Hautala, Eugenie Schraufnagel, Marisa Zepeda
How It Looked Before: Beam was a bit frustrating during the 2020 season. When the lineup hit, it HIT, scoring into the 48.000 range. But when it didn’t, it was a bit of a meltdown.
How It Looks Now: Beam was extremely impressive at the Eagle’s intrasquad. At least 12 gymnasts showed routines that any DIII team would be happy to have in its lineup. In addition to most of last year’s contributors, some standouts included seniors Alexis Sands and Jenna Danninger and freshman Marisa Zepeda, who were all extremely poised and confident.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Emma Grant (9.625), Olivia Opheim (9.420), Jenna Danninger (9.410), Faith Sersland (9.385), Audrey Kaufman (9.160), Katie Saladin, Kacey Mortenson, Diana Strahl, Megan Hawkins, Jordyn Faust, Madi Vanderpool, Keira Boetel, Hannah Hautala, Claudia Walter, Marisa Zepeda
How It Looked Before: Floor was the Eagle’s weakest event and was ultimately a big contributor to missing out on a conference title.
How It Looks Now: The Eagles return their entire conference lineup, which allows them to focus on the little things that caused problems last season and not worry about replacing any major scores. Sophomores Vanderpool and Katie Saladin are back from injuries, so they will bolster the lineup a bit. Hautala could also contribute here with a nice set that includes a pretty Rudi + layout step-out.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? It’s a bit early to say, but it will likely trend up.
Overall Outlook
Like Whitewater, La Crosse has been a bit rocky the last two seasons. This year, however, it lost only three of its conference routines and brought in a large freshman class with a ton of potential. If the Eagles can show more consistency on beam and floor than they did in 2020, they will be a major contender for a conference and national title.
No. 71 Oshkosh
Oshkosh brought the difficulty last season and although it did not always work in their favor, the Titans put it all together at the right time and won the conference title for the first time since 1996. They lost some strong routines, but this freshman class is one of the best in the division, so the Titans are on track for another solid year.
| Losses: | Amira Ali (VT, BB, FX), Jessica Bernardo (AA), Lexi Evans, Marisa Scholtens (UB, BB), Baylee Tkaczuk (UB, BB) |
| Gains: | Kaylie Berens, Emily Buffington, Paige Bukowski, Audrey Koester, MacKenzy Walvatne, Anna Zoromski |
Vault
Potential Contributors: Emily Gilot (9.710), Trinity Sawyer (9.545), Rahdea Jarvis (9.480), Haley Volstad (9.440), Haley Minor (9.265), Kennedy Springer, Olivia Keller, Paige Mayhew, Caroline Phillips, Kaylie Berens, Emily Buffington, Paige Bukowski, Audrey Koester, Anna Zoromski
How It Looked Before: Vault was an impressive event with a ton of difficulty. Occasionally throughout the season, the Titans would put up a full lineup of twisting vaults—something that was unheard of in DIII gymnastics up until that point.
How It Looks Now: Senior Paige Mayhew has not competed vault since her freshman season but was seen training a beautiful Yurchenko layout full earlier this fall. Rahdea Jarvis also showed a huge Yurchenko one and a half on the Titans Instagram story, which would be the highlight of the lineup if it is ready for season. It will be hard for freshmen to break into this lineup, but Emily Buffington and Paige Bukowski seem most likely to contribute with a lovely handspring front and Yurchenko full, respectively.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Emily Gilot (9.450), Trinity Sawyer (9.325), Kaira Hammond (9.240), Rahdea Jarvis (9.095), Haley Volstad, Adana Amor, Kennedy Springer, Caroline Phillips, Leia Randall, Kaeli Welsh, Kaylie Berens, Emily Buffington, MacKenzy Walvatne, Anna Zoromski
How It Looked Before: Bars was OK for the Titans, but like a lot of their other events the difficulty of their sets did not make up for major form deductions. It was also a very hit or miss event, making it common to see scores in the 47s one week and 45s the next.
How It Looks Now: Baylee Tkaczuk’s departure is concerning as she was a top scorer for the past four years and was always dependable, even when the rest of the lineup let nerves get the best of it. However, Buffington will easily slot into Tkaczuk’s spot with her incredibly clean set that could potentially be considered the best bar routine in DIII history if she proves she can consistently hit her double Arabian dismount.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Kaira Hammond (9.540), Olivia Keller (9.490), Paige Mayhew (9.445), Alyssa Nore (9.275), Rachel Morris, Trinity Sawyer, Emily Gilot, Rahdea Jarvis, Kaeli Welsh, Kaylie Berens, Emily Buffington, Paige Bukowski, Audrey Koester, Anna Zoromski
How It Looked Before: According to rankings, beam was one of Oshkosh’s weakest events. But by the middle of the season, it was consistently scoring in the 47s and saw some incredible scores from standouts Kaira Hammond and Olivia Keller.
How It Looks Now: This is one of their cleanest events form-wise, so if the Titans can get nerves under control, beam will be a great event for them in 2021. There is potential here from most of the freshmen, but Kaylie Berens is the most consistent of the newcomers.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell but likely trending up.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Olivia Keller (9.565), Rahdea Jarvis (9.500), Trinity Sawyer (9.480), Emily Gilot (9.410), Kennedy Springer, Haley Volstad, Caroline Phillips, Emily Buffington, Paige Bukowski, Kailey Berens, Audrey Koester, Anna Zoromski
How It Looked Before: Even though this was the Titan’s lowest-ranked event, the wow factor was comparable to their vault lineup. Their floor routines were jam-packed with difficulty, but that was to their detriment as it led to form issues and occasional falls.
How It Looks Now: Toward the beginning of last season, both Keller and Jarvis were competing double layouts, but they eventually went back to easier passes. If they were able to work out the kinks and get the double layouts competition-ready, it could be a game changer. Bukowski will likely contribute here as she is a powerful tumbler with a huge double back and back two and a half twist.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Overall Outlook
Trending up. Oshkosh is definitely a team on the rise. It won its second ever conference title in 2020 and could have possibly won a national title had the season carried on as planned. If the Titans can just clean up their competitive sets from last year, they will easily be one of the favorites to win conference and nationals.
No. 72 Stout
Ultimately, the competition within the WIAC was really tough, and the Blue Devils missed out on earning a trip to nationals. But they still had a fantastic season. There were a lot of high-scoring routines in the batch of 2020 seniors, as well as others who did not return to the team, so the freshmen have some big shoes to fill.
| Losses: | Sierra Coonts (UB, BB), Mallary Dick (UB, FX), Belle Ihde (VT, UB, FX), Charli Sizemore (UB, BB), Saga Svantesson (FX), Brooke Terry (AA), Britney Wolfe (VT, BB) |
| Gains: | Bridgette Allen, Kiara Brown, Kiara Bruening, Genevieve Czaplewski, Jensen DeJong |
Vault
Potential Contributors: Shadae Boone (9.720), Madison Latzke (9.335), Maddie Mullenbach (9.235), Mikala Bugge, Chloe Beatty, Jenna Jones, Kailyn Westbrook, Kiara Brown, Kiara Bruening, Jensen DeJong
How It Looked Before: This was a fine event for Stout that was yet again led by Shadae Boone.
How It Looks Now: Jensen DeJong has scored as high as 9.650 in level 10, which likely means she has some sort of twisting Yurchenko. However, there is no video, so it is hard to know for sure. Regardless, a vault that is good enough to score that well will be a welcome addition to the lineup. Kiara Bruening competed a powerful layed-out Tsuk and also has training videos of a Tsuk half.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? About the same, maybe up a bit.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Shadae Boone (9.195), Olivia Rosenow (8.795), Mikala Bugge, Jaclyn Bertrand, Cassie Ehmann, Jenna Jones, Bridgette Allen, Kiara Brown, Kiara Bruening
How It Looked Before: This was Stout’s weakest event and was the biggest reason the team missed out on a top three finish at conference.
How It Looks Now: The loss of the four gymnasts with the highest scores from last year is going to be a huge hurdle the Blue Devils will have to overcome this season. Freshman Kiara Brown will likely contribute immediately with a big Maloney + bail + toe shoot routine that has scored as high as 9.575 in JO. Bridgette Allen, another freshman, has a gorgeous Pak. She competed level 9 so she will have to increase her difficulty to be competitive, but she has training videos of a huge Tkatchev, which could be just what she needs to break into the lineup.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending down.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Carlie Beatty (9.540), Chloe Beatty (9.320), Mikala Bugge, Kailyn Westbrook, Maddie Mullenbach, Madison Latzke, Jenna Jones, Bridgette Allen (loso, bhs loso), Kiara Brown, Kiara Bruening, Genevieve Czaplewski
How It Looked Before: Beam was one of Stout’s best events, and considering the fact that it is beam, which tends to be hit or miss for a lot of teams, the Blue Devils were pretty consistent all season.
How It Looks Now: The Blue Devils lost their two top beam workers but should’t need to worry too much. Allen has beautiful lines on this event and has a similar style to former team member Chelsea Gray who graduated in 2018. Sophomore Jenna Jones was out last season but could be an exciting addition to this lineup. She has a solid set that she caps off with a big double back dismount.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Shadae Boone (9.565), Carlie Beatty (9.400), Maddie Mullenbach (9.315), Mikala Bugge, Chloe Beatty, Jenna Jones, Bridgette Allen, Kiara Brown, Kiara Bruening, Genevieve Czaplewski, Jensen DeJong
How It Looked Before: Floor was a good event, particularly toward the end of the season when they saw a nice steady climb from week to week.
How It Looks Now: This is probably the event the Blue Devils have to worry about least, especially if senior Mikala Bugge is healthy. All five of the freshmen are training the event, which gives them some much needed depth that a few of their other events do not have. Brown has a lovely front double full, which gives her a bit of an edge over the other freshman options.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell.
Overall Outlook
The Blue Devils lost a lot of big scores. Additionally, some key players such as Shadae Boone and Mikala Bugge have been missing from social media updates. It is unknown whether this is related to COVID precautions, injuries or if they just are not showing them. If it is injuries, the current team will need to step up its difficulty and cleanliness if there is any hope of staying at a level relatively close to what we have come to expect from Stout the past two seasons.
No. 77 Winona
Last year was a fine season for Winona—nothing spectacular happened but also nothing terrible, so it was kind of just… a season. This year, the Warriors have quite a few routines to replace, but they brought in a very interesting freshman class that really surprised at the recent intrasquad.
| Losses: | Maddie Bronson (VT, UB, BB), Alana Currin (VT, FX), Sarah Fortuna, Sunny Hasebe (UB, BB), Kelly Johnston (BB, FX), Jonica Jordan (VT), Elizabeth Maher (BB), Hannah Norman (UB), Megan Tran (VT, BB, FX), Kennedy Utz (VT, FX) |
| Gains: | Lydia Anderson, Quinnlan Burger, Jessie Gallier, Ava Gaudet, Izzy Kropiwiec, Ashley Roth, Taryn Sellner |
Vault
Potential Contributors: Shelsea Zehr (9.325), Hailey Bryant (9.255), Allison Crescimanno (9.255), Maya Fernando, Anna Hiller, Katie Curtis, Hailey Doherty, Breanna Ho, Kaitlyn West, Quinnlan Burger, Jessie Gallier, Izzy Kropiwiec, Ashley Roth
How It Looked Before: Vault was Winona’s lowest-ranked event, but it was not bad. It was just a bit too “decent Yurchenko layout”-y to be competitive with the top WIAC teams.
How It Looks Now: There were yet again a lot of Yurchenko layouts at the Warriors’ recent intrasquad. However, after showing her “competition vault,” Kaitlyn West took a second turn and performed a Yurchenko layout full into the pit. It was not competition ready quite yet, but it showed a lot of potential.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up just a bit. Although there will still be a lack of difficulty, the vaults will be clean and quite a few freshmen provide strong options.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Anna Hiller (9.135), Hailey Bryant (9.075), Shelsea Zehr (9.070), Hannah Matuszak (9.050), Allison Crescimanno (8.775), Breanna Ho, Kaitlyn West, Ava Gaudet, Izzy Kropiwiec, Ashley Roth
How It Looked Before: Anna Hiller led the way with a nice routine that had a difficult hop + Jaeger combination. The rest of the lineup was OK, just not as clean as some of the top-scoring lineups.
How It Looks Now: Based on what was shown at intrasquad, this season will look similar to last. Freshman Ava Gaudet was missing from the intrasquad lineups but has videos of a pretty Maloney and blind full + double twisting layout that could be an exciting addition to the Warrior lineup.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? About the same.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Cora Geiger (9.005), Gabrielle Johnson (8.895), Hailey Doherty (8.295), Anna Hiller, Katie Curtis, Breanna Ho, Mackenzie Velarde, Kaitlyn West, Lydia Anderson, Quinnlan Burger, Ava Gaudet, Izzy Kropiwiec, Taryn Sellner
How It Looked Before: Beam was one of the Warriors’ strongest events last season and seniors Kelly Johnston and Sunny Hasebe consistently provided solid scores.
How It Looks Now: It is going to be difficult to replace the three gymnasts with the highest scoring potential. Quinnlan Burger demonstrated a lot of potential during the intrasquad where she showed a difficult routine that included a front handspring + back handspring + layout step-out series, a switch ring + sissone connection and punch front. She looked a bit nervy throughout the set, but once she gets more comfortable, it will be a great option for the Warriors.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell. Nerves got the best of most of the team at the intrasquad, but the foundation is there for an improved lineup once everyone becomes a bit more calm and confident.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Shelsea Zehr (9.540), Callie Van Dyck (9.075), Hailey Bryant (8.985), Katie Curtis, Hailey Doherty, Maya Fernando, Mackenzie Velarde, Breanna Ho, Quinnlan Burger, Ava Gaudet, Izzy Kropiwiec, Ashley Roth, Taryn Sellner
How It Looked Before: Floor was a fine event for the Warriors.
How It Looks Now: No surprise, the highlight of this rotation will be Shelsea Zehr who recently debuted a whip half + Rudi combination. Freshman Taryn Sellner is a dark horse to watch for, as her tumbling is not as difficult as many of the other options the Warriors have, but it is clean and she has a few fantastic leap and jump combinations.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Overall Outlook
It is a bit too early to know how this Warrior team will fare. They lost a number of their highest scoring routines and are under the leadership of a new head coach, but their freshmen class, although many were level 9 prior to joining the team, demonstrated the ability to perform high-level routines that will be useful from the get-go.
No. 78 Hamline
Hamline took a while to find its stride, but it peaked at just the right time and snuck past Winona to finish in the top five at conference. On paper, this freshman class is one of the weakest in the conference, but videos show a lot of potential. We could be surprised by what it ends up bringing to the table.
| Losses: | Sinclair Bagwell, Caitlin Cooper (VT, UB, FX), Lydia Ingram (UB, BB) |
| Gains: | Nadia Abid, Emily Anderson (Junior transfer from SPU), Caledonia Norton, Jailyn Robinson (Joined team as a junior) |
Vault
Potential Contributors: Tisana Lowe (9.435), Bailee Davis (9.285), Maddie Sowinski (9.270), Danielle Jaworski (9.115), Nikki Johnsen, Elizabeth Schauer, Madison Lieurance, Carolina Schlawiedt, Nadia Abid,
How It Looked Before: Vault was extremely consistent, but the only standout in the lineup was Tisana Lowe’s massive Yurchenko full.
How It Looks Now: Lowe will likely lead the pack again this season, and if she is able to control her landing better than last year, she will be in contention for a conference title. The return of Nikki Johnsen after an injury early last season will be extremely impactful as she had one of the team’s highest NQS scores in 2019.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? About the same.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Carolina Schlawiedt (9.110), Tisana Lowe (8.995), Elizabeth Schauer (8.840), Mary Kelly (8.715), Maddie Sowinski (8.685), Emma Patterson (8.445), Nikki Johnsen, Madison Lieurance, Nadia Abid, Caledonia Norton
How It Looked Before: Bars is a perennial struggle for the Pipers, and last year was no different. There were plenty of difficult sets in the lineup with a variety of single bar releases and big dismounts. However, form issues riddled the lineup and held them back from competitive scores.
How It Looks Now: If last year’s lineup can clean up its sets, the Pipers will be in a good position. Freshmen Nadia Abid and Caledonia Norton both have really clean routines but will need to get them up to level if they want to challenge for a lineup spot. Regardless, it will be nice to have them as backup options.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Maddie Sowinski (9.500), Katie Viles (9.245), Katie Kalland (9.185), Madison Lieurance (8.995), Tisana Lowe (8.560), Nikki Johnsen, Bailee Davis, Emily Anderson, Danielle Jaworski, Savannah Tafolla, Jailyn Robinson, Nadia Abid
How It Looked Before: This was an interesting lineup because there were usually three really strong routines and three that were OK but not spectacular. It was slightly unfortunate as beam was such a stellar event for the Pipers in 2019.
How It Looks Now: Abid will immediately make an impact in this lineup. She won beam at the Minnesota high school state meet in 2020 with a routine that featured a beautiful back handspring + layout step-out and side aerial + back full. Another person to watch for is Emily Anderson, a junior transfer from SPU who was never a member of the lineup but performed a few exhibition routines.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Tisana Lowe (9.495), Katie Viles (9.240), Mary Kelly (9.170), Maddie Sowinski (9.140), Katie Kalland, Elizabeth Schauer, Nikki Johnsen, Bailee Davis, Madison Lieurance, Emily Anderson, Danielle Jaworski, Nadia Abid, Caledonia Norton
How It Looked Before: Floor was a good event for the Pipers in 2020. Unlike many other teams and the Pipers’ other events, they never saw a huge swing in scores from week to week. They showed a steady climb throughout the season and had their best performance at conference.
How It Looks Now: Maddie Sowinski was kind of all over the map toward the beginning of 2020 but found her groove about midway through, finishing the year in fourth place at conference. Watch for her to lead the team this season. Again, Abid will challenge for a lineup spot here. She needs to increase the difficulty of her tumbling a bit, but it is a clean set with lovely jumps.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell.
Overall Outlook
Without recent videos for two out of the four newcomers, it is hard to know what to expect from this group. It seems plausible that we could see Hamline overtake Winona in the standings purely based on cleaner, more consistent gymnastics, but overall it feels like any movement up or down the rankings will be dependent on other teams’ performances rather than a drastic difference in theirs.
No. 80 Gustavus
Gustavus had a few special moments in 2020, such as breaking the school beam record. However, overall it never seemed to get over the loss of its 2019 senior class. The new freshmen will have an immediate impact and will bolster all of the lineups that needed a bit of help last season.
| Losses: | Grace Arnold (BB), Leah Dargis, Leah Heilig (AA) |
| Gains: | Cassie Ahlgrim, Shae Anderson, Izzy Breitkreutz, Katy Cash, Kimika Ishikawa-Temple, Sophie Schmitz, Kendra Smaby |
Vault
Potential Contributors: Annie Corbett (9.355), Brooke Merila (9.275), Emma Esteb (9.260), Lauren Smith (9.105), Sophia Nelson (9.095), Alyssa Teper, Ashley Goeltl, Jenna Griffith, Katy Cash, Kimika Ishikawa-Temple, Sophie Schmitz
How It Looked Before: This was one of the most consistent events for the Gusties, and they showed steady improvement throughout the year.
How It Looks Now: Katy Cash will be a great addition to this lineup. She competed a really clean Yurchenko layout in level 10 that could put her toward the back half of this lineup. She also has a few training videos of a Yurchenko half-on + front off and was shown doing Yurchenko full-on drills on the Gusties’ Instagram Story earlier this fall. Kimika Ishikawa-Temple could also contribute aTsuk layout.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Annie Corbett (9.310), Sophia Redding (8.965), Brooke Merila (8.505), Sophia Nelson (7.375), Ashley Goeltl, Alyssa Teper, Annie Gladistch, Katy Cash, Sophie Schmitz, Kendra Smaby
How It Looked Before: Without Sam Ardy and Amanda Malo, this lineup really struggled to stay afloat, and they were only able to field a lineup of five gymnasts at multiple meets.
How It Looks Now: Watch for freshman Kendra Smaby to claim the anchor spot early in the season. She has a routine that all of the WIAC teams would love to have in their lineups with her piked Jaeger, bail to handstand, and blind full + double back.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Annie Corbett (9.585), Emma Esteb (9.135), Brooke Merila (8.940), Annie Gladistch (8.490), McKenna Zelenka (7.500), Ashley Goeltl, Sam Tonjes, Cassie Ahlgrim, Izzy Breitkreutz, Katy Cash, Kimika Ishikawa-Temple, Sophie Schmitz, Kendra Smaby
How It Looked Before: The Gusties broke the school record on beam about halfway through the season, but they were not able to keep up that momentum and ended the season with a bit of a meltdown at conference.
How It Looks Now: This team has all the basics and skills needed to make this a good event, but it needs to start hitting under pressure. Cash will be an asset to the lineup with a fun set that includes a unique one-arm front handspring step out + switch leap combination and back handspring step-out + back handspring + one and a half dismount.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Annie Corbett (9.350), Emma Esteb (9.330), Brooke Merila (9.245), Jenna Griffith (9.110), Ashley Goeltl, Sam Tonjes, Jenna Griffith, Sophia Nelson, Lauren Smith, Cassie Ahlgrim, Katy Cash, Kimika Ishikawa-Temple, Sophie Schmitz, Kendra Smaby
How It Looked Before: The lineup was consistent but hung out in the 45.000 range, which was quite a bit lower than what we saw in years prior when they were steadily improving up into the 47.000-48.000 range over the course of the season.
How It Looks Now: Sophomore Ashley Goeltl will hopefully be back from her injury in time to bolster this lineup a bit. She scored as high as a 9.400 last season. Smaby could be a great addition here as well. She did not compete floor in 2020 but has training videos from 2019 of a solid double tuck and a gorgeous front layout + Rudi combination.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Too early to tell.
Overall Outlook
Overall, this seems like a much stronger team than last year. However, the lineups will be heavily reliant on the freshmen and sophomores, so it is possible this could be a bit of a building year until everyone gets more experience competing in the collegiate environment.
No. 81 Eau Claire
The injury bug hit this team hard last year, which led to struggles throughout the entire season, but the team was resilient and outperformed Gustavus at conference to finish its season on a high note. With everyone recovered and a few strong additions to the team, this year should be much better.
| Losses: | Jordan Ehde (AA), Megan Fayler (UB, BB), Olivia Sullo |
| Gains: | Taylor Kish, Tia Ravara, Katy VaNatta |
Vault
Potential Contributors: Ashley Benes (9.215), Andrea Gessner (9.140), Emma Barry (9.060), Victoria Perron (8.420), Jada DeBoer (7.095), Mallory Walerko, Bailey Davidson, Abby Weber, Kaiya Lindhardt, Tayla Thome, Katie Fahrenkamp, Annabelle Howat, Taylor Kish, Tia Ravara, Katy VaNatta
How It Looked Before: All of the Blugolds lineups were impacted by the injuries they suffered, but this was one that saw a lot of movement in and out because of it.
How It Looks Now: All three newcomers have the potential to contribute on vault. Taylor Kish and Tia Ravara both have Yurchenko layouts. Ravara has training videos of a full. Katy VaNatta brings a handspring front. Others should also be returning from injury, such as sophomore Annabelle Howat who competed a Yurchenko layout and has training videos of fulls.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Bars
Potential Contributors: Dani Malecha (8.890), Emma Barry (8.870), Ashley Benes (8.685), Christina Leikam (8.650), Annabelle Howat, Liliana Shank, Molly Rajala, Molly Cianchette, Kaiya Lindhardt, Mallory Walerko, Tia Ravara
How It Looked Before: Overall, this lineup was just a bit messy. The routines were fine but nothing too difficult.
How It Looks Now: Ravara will make an immediate impact, likely slotting into the anchor position right off the bat. She has a blind full connected to a huge Gienger, a blind full + double and an overall extremely clean set. Like vault, this lineup will benefit from people returning from injury, including Molly Cianchette, who was training a hop change + Jaeger prior to getting hurt last season.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Beam
Potential Contributors: Dani Malecha (9.040), Tayla Thome (8.965), Abby Weber (8.960), Christina Leikam (8.550), Erin Hillegonds, Katie Fahrenkamp, Jada DeBoer, Christina Leikam, Nicole Delfino, Taylor Kish, Tia Ravara
How It Looked Before: Dani Malecha stood out in this lineup and could bring in some big scores, but like the rest of the lineup, she was just a bit too inconsistent throughout the year.
How It Looks Now: Kish and Ravara both bring in exciting sets. Like bars, Ravara will likely anchor this lineup and has a lovely routine that will challenge for a conference (and possibly even a national) title. She has a back handspring + back handspring + layout step-out series that is super consistent. plus a difficult switch leap + gainer layout step-out combination. Kish may take a while to break into the lineup purely due to inconsistency in competition, but she has a really cool side aerial + roundoff + back tuck series that would be awesome to see in competition.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Floor
Potential Contributors: Emma Barry (9.220), Katie Fahrenkamp (9.155), Tayla Thome (8.655), Jada Deboer (8.595), Victoria Perron (7.025), Sydney Dame, Molly Rajala, Bailey Davidson, Kaitlyn Trunkel, Christina Leikam, Eden Kingery, Mallory Walerko, Taylor Kish, Tia Ravara
How It Looked Before: Floor was hit hard by the injury bug.
How It Looks Now: There is a ton of potential for growth this season with everyone returning from injuries and the addition of both Kish and Ravara’s sets. The duo will need to increase the difficulty of their final passes but still provide viable options that can at least be used as back up routines.
Trending up, down or too early to tell? Trending up.
Overall Outlook
Honestly, Eau Claire has nowhere to go but up. Last year was not this team’s “normal,” and with everyone back from injury, it should be in much better shape in 2021. The Blugolds might not move far up the standings, but there should definitely be improvement in their scores and signs of moving back toward what we are used to seeing from them.
READ THIS NEXT: Potential Lineups: NCGA-East
Article by Rachel Riesterer
Like what you see? Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year!
