Medford gymnasts Bilz, Ulrich earn sports show nominations
Medford sophomores Brooklyn Bilz and Makala Ulrich are nominees for a top award at the Wisconsin Prep Sports Awards show, currently planned for Friday, June 12 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
Bilz and Ulrich are among the six nominees for 2019-20 Gymnast of the Year at the event, which is presented by Bellin Health and Festival Foods, supported by Green Bay Packers Give Back and created by USA Today Network-Wisconsin. The sports show honors prep standouts in central Wisconsin and the Fox Valley.
The show has already been postponed from its original May 1 date. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and former University of Wisconsin standout T.J. Watt is the featured guest.
During the 2019-20 season, Ulrich and Bilz led Medford to its second straight appearance at the WIAA Division 2 state gymnastics meet, where the Raiders finished fifth with a school-record score of 134.901. The Raiders won their first-ever sectional championship and repeated as Great Northern Conference Small Division champions.
Bilz earned GNC Small Gymnast of the Year honors for the second straight year after scoring 32.95 allaround points at the conference meet hosted by Chequamegon High School on Feb. 22. Ulrich was right behind her with 32.65 points. Bilz won the floor and uneven bar championships, while Ulrich was on the balance beam and took second on bars.
Bilz was fourth and Ulrich was fifth in the all-around standings at Antigo sectional to earn state all-around berths. In the individual portion of the state meet, Bilz was 16th in the Division 2 all-around standings with 34.234 points and Ulrich was 21st with 33.317 points. Ulrich totaled 34.534 all-around points the day before in the state team competition.
The show’s 2018-19 Gymnast of the Year, Gracie Holland of Marshfield, highlights the rest of the nominees. Holland was second in the Division 1 all-around stand- ings at state and won the state vault championship.
Holland, a senior, was the GNC Large Division Gymnast of the Year for the second straight year.
Senior Isabella Doege of Waupun, junior Caroline Ramminger of Manitowoc Lincoln and junior Katelyn Trowbridge of Stevens Point round out this season’s nominees.
