Marshfield finishes second at WIAA Division 1 gymnastics sectional, qualifies for first state tournament

CHIPPEWA FALLS – The Marshfield gymnastics team just keeps adding to its lists for firsts this season.

The Tigers, who set numerous meet scoring records this season and won the conference title for the first time in program history, will now be going to the state meet for the first time after taking second place at the WIAA Division 1 Gymnastics Sectional on Saturday at Chippewa Falls High School.

Marshfield finished with 136.4 points, less than one point ahead of third-place Stevens Point, for the final team spot at the state meet. Marshfield had tied Point for the Great Northern Conference-Large title this season after placing second in the dual meet portion of the schedule, but winning the GNC Tournament last week. Hudson won the sectional title with a score of 139.475.

Junior Gracie Holland won two events and the all-around title, earning spots at state in all four events for the Tigers. Senior Emma Haugen will be going back to state for the third year in a row after placing in third in the vault.

“The team started on beam, which is a big challenge, especially on a day with so much on the line,” Marshfield coach Allie Dryer said. “We had a challenging beam set, and the girls could have let it defeat them. However, they rallied and ended the meet with some of the best vault and bars we have seen from them.”

Holland, in her first year of high school varsity competition, won the all-around sectional title with 37.125 points, edging Hudson’s Paige Hillman, who had 36.875 points.

Holland finished first in the uneven bars (9.65) and the vault (9.6), was second in the balance beam (8.7), and tied for fifth in the floor exercise (9.175) to led the way for Marshfield.

Haugen was third in the vault with a score of 9.2 to also qualify for state. She just missed out in the bars, taking sixth with a score of 8.425, just 0.25 of a point away from fifth.

Marshfield will take part in the team competition on Friday beginning at 2 p.m., and Holland and Haugen will participate in the individual tournament on Saturday, March 2, starting at 11:30 a.m., at the 2019 WIAA State Gymnastics Championships at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School.

2019 WIAA Division 1 Gymnastics Sectional
Feb. 23, at Chippewa Falls High School
(Top two teams and top five individuals in each event and all-around qualify for WIAA State Gymnastics Meet, March 1-2, at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School)
Team scores: 1. Hudson 139.475; 2. Marshfield 136.4; 3. Stevens Point 135.675; 4. Holmen 135.45; 5. Eau Claire 130.125; 6. Chippewa Falls 128.325; 7. Superior/Northwestern 117.425; 8. Wisconsin Rapids 112.025.
All-around: 1. Gracie Holland (MAR) 37.125; 2. Paige Hillman (HUD) 36.875; 3. Katelyn Trowbridge (SP) 35.925; 4. Caroline Erickson (HUD) 35.125; 5. Harley Bartels (HOL) 34.675; 8. Emma Haugen (MAR) 33.8.
Balance beam: 1. Hillman (HUD) 9.0; 2. Holland (MAR) 8.7; 3. Bartels (HOL) and Trowbridge (SP) 8.65; 5. Maddy Lau-Melby (HOL) 8.6; 16. Haugen (MAR) 7.775; 19. Hanna Merkel (MAR) 7.6; 30. Shantel Nienast (MAR) 6.9; 33. Makenna Yeske (MAR) 6.75.
Floor exercise: 1. Erickson (HUD) 9.475; 2. Addy Bengston (CF) 9.3; 3. Bartels (HOL) and Hillman (HUD) 9.225; 5. Holland (MAR), Trowbridge (SP), and Korinne Trueman (SP) 9.175; 11. Brooke McGrath (MAR) 8.95; 15. Ally Bakke (MAR) 8.775; 22. Haugen (MAR) 8.4; 30. Nikolay (MAR) 7.725.
Uneven bars: 1. Holland (MAR) 9.65; 2. Hillman (HUD) 9.3; 3. Trowbridge (SP) 9.0; 4. Bartels (HOL) and Erickson (HUD) 8.45; 6. Haugen (MAR) 8.425; 9. Merkel (MAR) 8.25; 15. Nienast (MAR) 7.75; 26. Alexis Mushel (MAR) 7.275.
Vault: 1. Holland (MAR) 9.6; 2. Hillman (HUD) 9.35; 3. Haugen (MAR) 9.2; 4. Trowbridge (SP) 9.1; 5. Ava Jensen (HUD) 9.05; 8. McGrath (MAR) 8.7; 17. Nikolay (MAR) 8.55; 24. Kimberly Backaus (MAR) 8.35.