Raiders dominate at GNC; turn focus toward sectional

GNC GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Whether three Great Northern Conference Small Division championships in four years can be considered a dynasty is something that could be debated amongst gymnastics observers, the Medford Raiders are certain about one thing –– their program has come a long way in that four-year period.

The latest title was clinched in dominating fashion Saturday at Chequamegon High School as the Raiders scored 130.575 team points to easily outscore runner-up Rhinelander (114.85), Mosinee (107.3), Chequamegon (105.35) and Lakeland (65.75).

In fact, the only Large Division schools to outscore Medford at the meet were Marshfield (137.3) and Stevens Point (135.375). The Raiders had solid margins over Antigo (127.125) and Ashland (124.9), the teams most likely to challenge them at this Friday’s WIAA Division 2 Antigo sectional.

“Where they’re all scoring, the consistency across the board on our lineup represents a team,” head coach Steve Cain said. “No individual had a personal record (PR). Not one single individual had a PR. Think about that. Each one brought something up, brought something to the table and brought something into this meet that raised the bar and jumped up their whole score all together to 130.575. That’s just below our school record (132.475) that this team set.”

“I’m impressed with the team with how they did and how well they handled it,” injured junior Lydia Sigmund said after Saturday’s meet. “Everyone was together, working together as a team to help everybody, even with the falls.”

“Everyone’s put in a lot of work to get to where they are,” sophomore Brooklyn Bilz said. “I think all of us deserve it.”

In 2017, Medford won the GNC Small Division meet with 116.2 points. The Raiders won last year’s meet with 128.125 points. This year’s 130.575 is just a sign of what this group, which has just one senior, says is still coming.

“Compared to a couple of years ago, we’ve made a comeback,” Bilz said. “We’re back in the books.”

“I remember back in my freshman and sophomore years, nobody was twisting, everybody was doing front handspring vaults,” senior Kara Hudak said.

“I remember just watching (sisters) Maddy and Megan when I was younger and they were excited to score like a 116,” freshman Anna Wanke said. “Last year they scored a 119 in the first meet and that was huge.”

Fast forward to today and nothing would be bigger to the Raiders than another record day on Friday. The top two teams at the Antigo sectional will qualify for state team competition March 6 at Wisconsin Rapids. The girls don’t just want to be second at this meet like they were last year.

“We’re going to win,” sophomore Makala Ulrich said.

“This team is looking at re-setting that record on Friday,” Cain said. “Their goal is becoming sectional champs. They’re not happy with runner-up. They want to be the champion. If every girl takes their routines, their skills, their event and improves themselves, by two to three tenths from what they had Saturday, they can push that score to be above the last broken school record, plus they could likely take the championship. That’s all it takes.”

Not only will team state qualification be at stake, but the Raiders who will fill out Friday’s lineup could all be in contention for individual state competition to be held March 7. The top five finishers in each of the four events and the top five all-around gymnasts will qualify.

Friday’s competition starts at 5 p.m. and includes the Medford Co-op, Antigo, Ashland, Chequamegon, Lakeland, Mosinee, Rhinelander and a Washburn team that consists of one girl, standout senior all-around Lakyn Sonday.

At Chequamegon High School Saturday, the Raiders got things started with a strong showing on the floor exercise and kept it going throughout the meet. Bilz set the tone with an opening routine that received an 8.6 and wound up winning the event. Freshman Kate Malchow was right behind her with an 8.55, Megan Wanke earned an 8.45, Ulrich came in at 8.15 to take fourth and Anna Wanke tied Chequamegon’s Kristina Peterson for fifth with an 8.1.

Medford’s 33.75 points in the event was just two tenths shy of its season-high.

“That gave us good energy for the rest of the meet,” Megan Wanke said.

The Raiders went to vault next and earned 32.75 team points. Malchow won it with an 8.3, just ahead of Peterson’s 8.25. Bilz was third with her 8.2 and Ulrich was part of a three-way tie for fourth at 8.15. Anna Wanke placed seventh with her 8.1 and Kennedy Bilz was part of a three-way tie for eighth at 7.9.

From there it was on to the uneven bars where the Raiders’ five entrants took the top five scoring spots and earned 31.275 team points, again just two tenths off their season high.

“I feel like bars is what everybody thinks of as our weakest event but then we have top five,” Megan Wanke said.

Bilz won it with her 8.05, followed by Ulrich and Anna Wanke, who tied with 7.8s. Avery Purdy was just 0.05 behind her personal-best score with her 7.625 and Malchow’s routine was looking very strong until one mishap knocked her down to a 7.575.

“She has one of her best cast handstands going into her giants,” Cain said. “With that being said she stretched it out so nice that on her second one, that’s where she hit the low bar and she normally doesn’t do that. She might brush it slightly with her heel at practice but never hit it like that. Not finishing that cast handstand, she probably had close to a point deducted, which would’ve put her over her PR and to one of the top bar scores for quite some time.”

The Raiders finished the meet with a handful of falls on the balance beam, but they also hit on some difficult skills and came away with some solid scores and a team score of 32.8 that was their secondbest of the season.

Ulrich claimed her first-ever GNC Small championship with an 8.575, Brooklyn Bilz and Malchow tied for second with 8.1s, Anna Wanke was fourth at 8.025 and Hudak was 11th at 6.65.

The Raiders’ display of dominance was shown in the all-around standings where they had the top four gymnasts. Brooklyn Bilz won her second straight GNC Small Division Gymnast of the Year award by totaling 32.95 points, but Ulrich (32.675), Malchow (32.525) and Anna Wanke (32.025) were right behind her.

Bilz joined Large Division Gymnast of the Year Gracie Holland of Marshfield (37.9) as two-time conference MVPs.

“It’s cool,” Bilz said. “It’s kinda cool to be there with Gracie because me and Gracie were teammates (with GymSport). That was my seventh grade year. A couple years ago we were practicing in the summers together.”

Marshfield won the Large School title for the second straight year. Wisconsin Rapids was fifth in the division with 124.225 points, 0.675 behind fourth-place Ashland.