MEDFORD-COLBYGYMNASTICS - Best scores give Rothmeier high places; Raiders 3rd at Ashland

MEDFORD-COLBY GYMNASTICS

Raylin Rothmeier had a pair of topthree finishes, while she and Delaina Meyer were among the meet’s top allaround gymnasts as Medford-Colby placed third out of eight teams Saturday at the Ashland Co-op’s Valentine Invitational.

The Raiders scored 129.6, almost a point above their season average, while finishing just behind the host team in the race for second place. The Oredockers’ score was 130.65. Stevens Point won the meet comfortably with 135.9 points.

Rothmeier set a personal record with a score of 9.05 on the vault, which was good for second place behind Celina Hess of Bloomer-Colfax (9.15). Rothmeier got a 9.0 in the first meet of this year and one last year as well. She also took third in Saturday’s floor exercise competition at 8.95, another personal-best beating the 8.775 she earned in a home meet with Stevens Point on Jan. 7. The only gymnasts better in that event were Nora Wroblewski of Stevens Point (9.1) and Hess (9.05).

“Raylin’s floor was phenomenal,” Medford-Colby head coach Andrée Brushaber said. “She performed so well and her score represented that. It was her new personal record. She made floor look effortless and that is a testament to her strength. Her vault looked very familiar to last year with nice blocking off the table and she had a personal best on that event as well.”

The vault was Medford-Colby’s topscoring event of the day. The Raiders scored 33.85 points, their third-highest total of the season. Meyer tied for 10th out of 40 vaulters with her 8.5. Shayla Radlinger and Jordyn Grant were part of an 18th-place tie with 8.15s and Veronica Mateer tied for 22nd with her 8.0.

Medford-Colby scored 30.0 points on the uneven bars. Meyer led the way for the Raiders there with an 8.1 that tied her for fifth place with Antigo’s Alexia Rank. Hess earned an 8.45 to win it, just ahead of the 8.4 earned by Ashland’s Leanna Lipske and the 8.35 Stevens Point’s Riley Mueller got.

Bridget Cloud was 13th for Medford-Colby with a 7.45. This was the second straight meet where she put together a season-best routine, beating the 7.15 she had on Feb. 6. Mateer tied for 15th with her 7.25, Rothmeier was 17th at 7.2 and Radlinger was in the upper half of entrants in the event as well, tying for 18th at 7.15.

Rothmeier’s third on the floor was a highlight along with Meyer’s season-best 8.5, which was good for ninth place. Mateer placed 19th with her 7.85. Lindsey Kauffman stepped into a varsity spot and tied for 25th with a 7.6 and Radlinger got a 6.65. The Raiders had 32.9 floor points.

“Lindsey has been very close to that spot multiple times and although she felt she could do better, we were all proud of

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her performance,” Brushaber said. “She had a solid score and has been steadily improving. I know how she has been challenging herself to keep growing even toward the end of the season. She has been tumbling more in practice and striving to do better.”

On the beam, Mateer led the Raiders by tying for seventh with an 8.5. She has earned scores of 8.4 or better in five of the team’s last seven meets. Cloud’s 8.2 was good for 11th and ranked as her secondbest score of the winter. Meyer was right behind her at 8.15, Rothmeier tied for 15th at 8.0 and Radlinger was at 7.0. Medford-Colby scored 32.85 beam points. Ashland’s Kaia Werner won the event with a 9.3, just ahead of Point’s Olivia Manternach (9.2) and Ashland’s Alexandria Vittone (9.15).

“Veronica looks better than ever on beam and I really expected it to be her personal best because the routine looked that amazing,” Brushaber said. “She is locked in on beam right now. It’s so impressive to watch. Bridget is still coming back from her ankle injury but you wouldn’t know it. Her beam is looking stronger every time she performs.

“Every one of our girls have what it takes to score well on beam,” she added. “It really comes down to wobbles, toes not pointed, landings and connections. We have to stop large wobbles and falls. The girls who have fallen on beam finish the routine stronger than before the fall. That takes a tremendous amount of control and tenacity. I know they don’t give themselves enough credit for that.”

Meyer and Rothmeier finished sixth and seventh in the all-around competition with 33.25 and 33.2 total points in the meet. Hess was the champion with 35.4, while Werner was second at 34.65. Mateer was 13th with 31.6 all-around points and Radlinger had 28.95.

“Delaina had such a strong presence on every event,” Brushaber said. “Her allaround score was .85 from her personal best. She is so deserving of her successes. She can be seen cheering excitedly for teammates in the background and has a way of turning the tides back to positive energy. She is so supportive of everyone and thankful for every opportunity she is given.”

Medford-Colby finished well ahead of the Grantsburg Co-op (122.425), Superior-Northwestern (122.075), Rhinelander (120.55), Bloomer-Colfax (119.65) and Antigo (119.15).

Next up for Medford-Colby is the Great Northern Conference Championships, set for Saturday at 10 a.m. at Stevens Point. The host Panthers are in prime position to win the Large Division team title after going 3-0 in the dual meets. Medford-Colby, Wisconsin Rapids and Marshfield all went 1-2 and have just two team points going into the meet, while Point has six. As long as Point doesn’t finish last among the four teams Saturday, it is guaranteed at least a share of the overall title.

The top three finishers in each event and in the all-around competition will earn first-team, second-team and honorable mention All-GNC awards.

“Overall, I know the girls hit some rough patches that were unexpected at times,” Brushaber said. “They just have to keep their foot on the gas for the remainder of the season. They can’t let up. They have to keep fighting so they put their best effort forward.”

Bridget Cloud