Marshfield gymnastics wins Great Northern Conference Meet title

ASHLAND – The Marshfield gymnastics team captured its first-ever conference title, taking first place at the Great Northern Conference Gymnastics Meet on Saturday at Ashland High School.

The Tigers finished with 135.825 points to win the Large Division title, outlasting Stevens Point by 1.3 points.

Marshfield shares the overall conference title with Stevens Point, winners of the dual meet portion of the conference competition.

“We are super excited to have won the championships today and to get to share the conference title is a big honor,” Marshfield coach Allie Dryer said. “This was a big goal for the girls, and we are thrilled to accomplish it. Our big goal for the year remains qualifying to WIAA team state for the first time in school history.”

Junior Gracie Holland won the all-around title with 36.975 points to lead the Tigers.

Holland and senior teammate Emma Haugen tied for first place in the balance beam with scores of 8.8. Holland won the other three events outright with scores of 9.4 in the uneven bars, 9.475 in the floor exercise, and 9.3 in the vault.

“Gracie had a great day, winning every event and was named gymnast of the year, which is a huge accomplishment for sure,” Dryer said. “She dominated the competition today, which should be a good confidence boost going into sectionals next week.”

Haugen ended up third in the all-around with 34.125 points. In addition to the tie with Holland in the beam, she tied for second in the floor (8.925), was seventh in the uneven bars (7.95) and 11th in the vault (8.45).

Haugen won her third GNC individual title to go along with the floor exercise title as a freshman and the uneven bars crown last year as a junior.

“It’s amazing to take the title on different events almost every year,” Dryer said. “It shows how deep her talent is.”

Marshfield will compete at the WIAA Division 1 sectional on Feb. 23 at Chippewa Falls. The top two teams and top five individuals in the all-around and in each event qualify for the 2019 WIAA State Gymnastics Championships at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School on March 1-2.

2019 Great Northern Conference Large Gymnastics Meet
Team scores: 1. Marshfield 135.825; 2. Stevens Point 134.525; 3. Ashland 133.625; 4. Antigo 119.075; 5. Wisconsin Rapids 112.4.
All-around: 1. Gracie Holland (MAR) 36.975; 3. Emma Haugen (MAR) 34.125.
Uneven bars: 1. Holland (MAR) 9.4; 7. (tie) Haugen (MAR) 7.95; 12. Hanna Merkel (MAR) 7.7; 13. Alexis Mushel (MAR) 7.65; 14. Shantel Nienast (MAR) 7.55.
Balance beam: 1. Holland (MAR) and Haugen (MAR) 8.8; 10. (tie) Merkel (MAR) 7.75; 12. Makenna Yeske (MAR) 7.55; 14. Nienast (MAR) 7.45.
Floor exercise: 1. Holland (MAR) 9.475; 2. (tie) Haugen (MAR) 8.925; 9. Ally Bakke (MAR) 8.55; 11. Brooke McGrath (MAR) 8.4; 17. Merkel (MAR) 7.95.
Vault: 1. Holland (MAR) 9.3; 6. McGrath (MAR) 8.65; 9. (tie) Sophie Nikolay (MAR) 8.5; 11. Haugen (MAR) 8.45; 12. (tie) Kimberly Backaus (MAR) 8.4.