GMC gymnasts fall just short of Coulee title

The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro/Cochrane-Fountain City gymnastics co-op gave one of the top area gymnastics teams a run for their money at the Coulee Conference championship meet in West Salem last Friday, eventually falling short of a win by less than half a point.

GMC lost West Salem/Aquinas in a dual meet earlier this season and it was the hosts that left with a Coulee Conference title on Friday, edging GMC 135.8-135.55. Viroqua finished just behind GMC in third with a 135.475, followed by Westby at 104.95 and Arcadia at 75.25. GMC and Arcadia return to West Salem this Saturday for the sectional meet.

GMC outscored West Salem/Aquinas in the balance beam and floor exercise events, but the hosts bested GMC in the vault and uneven bars. Coach Savannah Britton thought her team stepped up in a big way.

“It was one of our best meets of the season,” Britton said, pointing to a season-high in team points. “I think it was one of the closest in history. ... so it was crazy.”

GMC junior Abby Miller placed fourth in the all-around with a 35.025 behind Morgan Siekert and Isabell Korn of Viroqua and Taliya Michlig of West Salem/Aquinas. Siekert led all gymnasts with a 36.025.

Miller led her team in the floor exercise with a third place finish at 9.225, took sixth in beam with an 8.425 while finishing third in the vault with an 8.875 and fifth in bars with an 8.5.

GMC senior Paris Lambert finished fifth in the all-around with her best score of the season at 34.575, taking fourth in vault (8.7), third in bars (8.6), fourth in floor (9.2) and 10th in beam (8.075).

“Abby is a strong all-around gymnast that has gone to state multiple times in the past, and all season has been placing top three at a lot of meets,” Britton said. “Paris is having a very good season, and she’s a strong all-around gymnast as well.”

Junior Trista Thill placed second in the balance beam with an 8.8 for GMC, behind only Viroqua sophomore Morgan Siekert. Thill finished sixth in the all-around behind a 8.075 in bars (eighth), 8.9 in floor (sixth) and 7.9 in vault (15th).

“She takes her time through her routine, and she really focuses on each individual skill rather than rushing through everything just to get done. She has a really good mindset and focus on that event,” Britton said of Thill on beam.

Senior Katie Pierson finished fourth in the event with an 8.525, also placing 13th in floor (7.95), 11th in bars (7.75) and 16th in vault (7.75). Classmate Ellyana Christopherson placed 16th in beam (6.925), 14th in floor (7.625) and bars (7.2) and tied for 11th in vault (8.05).

Britton said she thinks her team is peaking at the right time.

“I think they’re going to do really well (at sectionals),” she said. “We had some mess-ups on the beam and the bars at conference, so if they can hit all their routines I think we can post an even higher score.”

Arcadia had three gymnasts at the meet, led by a 10th place finish by junior Nora Bergerson in the all-around. Bergerson scored an 8.05 in the vault, a 7.2 in bars, 8.375 in floor and a 6.9 in beam.

Senior Itzel Hernadez scored a 7.3 in vault, 4.45 in bars, 5.65 in floor and 5.35 in beam for Arcadia, and teammate Litzabeth Alejo scored a 7.05, 3.35, 5.65 and 5.35 in the same events.