Miller to represent GMC in three events at state


            Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro/Cochrane-Fountain City junior gymnast Abby Miller leaped for the bar during her routine at a Division 2 sectional meet at West Salem High School last Saturday. Miller advanced to state in vault, beam and all-around.  (Times photograph by Benjamin Pierce)

For nearly every event this winter, Abby Miller has kept close to the same routine as the one she started the gymnastics season with.

There haven’t been too many changes or tweaks to the jumps and moves in the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro/Cochrane-Fountain City junior’s routines simply because there hasn’t been a need. 

After punching her ticket to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division Two state meet — set for Friday in Wisconsin Rapids — Miller will have a chance at coming home with multiple medals by qualifying in the beam, vault and all-around events at last Saturday’s sectional in West Salem.

Miller heads to state after placing third in vault with a 9.3, behind only Sparta’s Lily Weigand (9.3) and Ella Hemker (9.225). She earned a fourth place finish in the beam at 9.075 behind the same Sparta duo and their teammate Savannah Clark.

One minor change in Miller’s beam routine paid off.

“We did change her jumps on beam halfway through the season, but overall I wasn’t surprised. I knew she would qualify for sure,” Britton said.

She placed lower in floor (9.35, T-7th) and bars (8.425, T-8th) but still advanced in the all-around thanks to strong performances in beam and vault. But her coach says the junior should have podium aspirations in all three events, and she believes Miller could do it.

“I definitely think she’s more than capable of getting there,” Britton said. “As long as she hits her routines I would say for vault and beam for sure, and if she can hit her floor and bars as well, she could definitely place in the all-around.”

Only the three Sparta gymnasts finished ahead of Miller in the all-around on Saturday. The GMC junior scored a 36.05, good for fourth.

Miller will be the lone representative at state for GMC, which narrowly missed qualifying as a team. West Salem (139.775) finished 2.7 points ahead of the co-op to take the second and final team spot and will join Sparta, which won the meet with a 141.9.

Britton praised both senior Paris Lambert and junior Trista Thill for strong sectional meets, noting they just got caught in a tough sectional field. Lambert finished eighth in the all-around, scoring an 8.675 in floor, 8.9 in beam, 8.875 in vault and 8.425 in bars.

Thill finished 11th with a 9.025 in floor, 8.975 in beam, 7.95 in vault and 8.0 in bars. Seniors Katie Pierson (16th) and Ellayna Christopherson (19th) also competed in the all-around.

GMC’s score of 137.075, while not enough for a state berth, is a season-best for the program and one that Britton said the program can build on.

“They had a phenomenal meet, one of the best of the season,” she said. “The competition was insane. I’ve been part of gymnastics for years, and I’ve never seen the scores that were posted yesterday. I’ve never seen high scores like that posted anywhere.”

Arcadia also competed at the meet, finishing seventh with a team score of 76.125. Coach Carley Boos couldn’t be reached for comment.

Junior Nora Bergerson led the Raiders with an 18th place finish in the all-around, scoring an 8.35 in floor, 7.65 in beam, 8.075 in vault and 6.65 in bars. 

Seniors Itzel Hernandez (22nd all-around, 5.9 floor, 6.15 beam, 7.05 vault, 4.0 bars) and Litzabeth Alejo (23rd all-around, 5.85 floor, 6.0 beam, 6.7 vault, 3.75 bars) also competed for the Raiders, who ended their season.

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