West Salem wins Coulee gymnastics triangular

The West Salem/Aquinas/Bangor high school gymnastics co-op saw three of its gymnasts finish in the top five all-around scores to win last Monday’s Coulee Conference meet at Westby High School. 

The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Melrose-Mindoro/Cochrane-Fountain City (GMC) team had four gymnasts in the top 11 on a night they finished third behind the winners as well as host Westby/Viroqua/Cashton/De Soto (WVCD). 

West Salem—the favorite to win the Coulee—claimed the top team score (139) ahead of WVCD’s 130.275 and GMC’s 128.85. 

Morgan Siekert of West Salem finished with the top individual all-around score at 36.625, one that was boosted by event-leading scores in floor (9.425), beam (9.05) and vault (9.0). 

Taylor Gallup was GMC’s best performer last week, taking fourth in all-around scores with her 34.6. The GMC team saw four gymnasts finish inside the top 11 all-around scores, including Tori Thoma (31.8, seventh), Abbi Bronsteatter (30.825, ninth) and Amanda Pierson (30.375, 11th).

Gallup finished second in vault with an 8.5, while Thoma (8.125) and Bronsteatter (8.1), finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

Gallup’s 8.4 on bars was good for fifth, and her 8.4 on beam placed her fourth. Her highest score of the meet came on floor, where her 9.3 took third.

Thoma’s best individual finish was an eighth-place 8.225 on balance beam. Bronsteatter had her best showing on floor with an 8.15, while Pierson also found success with her floor routine (8.375).

A conference meet in West Salem on Tuesday awaited GMC this week.