Teddy Kaste-
Gustavus gymnastics shattered multiple program records this past Saturday; the women set not one, not two, but three new Gustavus program records in their dual against UW-Oshkosh. They set the record for team score, (188.550), vault (47.500), and beam (48.050). Sophomore Maddox Lee tied the individual school record for the beam with a score of 9.75, and won the all-around competition with a score of 38.00. Despite the incredible performance from the Gustavus women, they came up short in the dual, losing to the defending national champions, UW-Oshkosh.
Gymnastics is made up of four events: the vault, bars, beam, and floor. Each gymnast is scored from 1-10 based on their performance in their given event. So for each event (beam, bars, vault, or floor), 6 gymnasts compete and the top 5 scores are tallied to get the team’s score. The overall score is the tally of each event’s scores.
In the vault, Junior Marley Michaud led the way with a total score of 9.55, which contributed to Gustavus’ final tally of 47.5 in the event. Oshkosh performed slightly better in the vault with their score totaling 47.95.
In the bars, Gustavus struggled a bit but was led by Senior Kendra Smaby who posted a very respectable 9.5. Overall, the team ended with a score of 45.5 on the bars, while Oshkosh performed quite well with their score totaling 47.475
The beam is where the Gusties shined, to cite our famous fight song. Gustavus’ final score on the beam was 48.050, a new program record. Sophomore Maddox Lee led the way in the beam with a score of 9.75 which tied the individual program record. All the other beam competitors also performed well, and Gustavus totaled 48.05 for the event. Oshkosh responded well with a 48.0, but setting the program record had Gustavus’ gymnasts beaming ear-to-ear.
Junior Izzy Breitkerutz said about the beam event, “Beam is probably the most rewarding event there is because it is such a challenge. There is no better feeling than hitting your beam routine at a meet!” Breitkerutz recorded a 9.65 on the beam, and was a major factor in breaking the school record, she described how she stays mentally calm on the beam, “Usually during my routine I just remind myself to breathe and let muscle memory take over. Sometimes I’ll sing along in my head to the music playing to clear my mind!”
The gymnasts then moved to the floor for the final event, where they flipped and tumbled to more program records. Junior Lily Guy led the way with a 9.6, but all the Gusties excelled at the floor with the lowest recorded score being a still impressive 9.3. Gustavus finished the floor event with a score of 47.5. Oshkosh, an amazing program, somehow performed even better on the floor with a score of 48.225.
At the end of the event, the final tally of the dual was UW-Oshkosh: 191.650 and Gustavus: 188.550. Both teams showed that they are extremely formidable and have a lot of positives to build off of for the rest of the season.
Senior Caylee Greeder said on the record-setting performance, “Setting the team school record was incredible. We had set our school record last year and once we started to compete and get scores this year, we knew we were all capable of doing it again. It was an incredible feeling.”
She also went on to talk about the culture of the gymnastics team stating “Ultimately we really like to emphasize that we are all equal, all capable of setting the tone or being a leader for the team. You don’t need to be a Junior or Senior to be a leader and set a good example. We accomplish this by creating an open and healthy environment for the team as a whole so that anyone can feel comfortable stepping up and leading at any given time.” Gustavus Gymnastics is one of the more successful sports teams on campus, partly due to this equitable culture.
Due to their performances at this dual, Lee and Breitkrutz have also been named WIAC gymnasts of the week! Lee, Breitkrutz, and the rest of the Gustie Gymnasts will continue their season at home against Winona State next Friday, so come cheer them on!