MEDFORD-COLBYGYMNASTICS - Good effort falls just short in GNC Large Division showdown

MEDFORD-COLBY GYMNASTICS

The Medford-Colby gymnastics team returned to action Thursday following a 33-day layoff and produced some scoring jumps in several areas, but it wasn’t quite enough to knock off visiting Marshfield in a key Great Northern Conference Large Division dual meet.

While Medford-Colby topped the Tigers on the vault, Marshfield outscored the Raiders in the other three events to pull out a 134.3-130.8 victory to take control of the chase for the Large Division title. The Tigers are 2-0 in the division with one more dual meet left against Stevens Point. The Raiders, even with a seasonhigh point total, fell to 1-1 with a meet at Wisconsin Rapids still to come.

“We had our highest team score this season with 130.8,” Medford-Colby head coach Andrée Brushaber said. “That is an increase of 2.15 from our previous high this season. I am proud of the effort, courage, and determination our gymnasts demonstrated throughout the meet. We had a girl seriously sick for a week straight over break and some of them were currently experiencing sinus/head, cold/cough symptoms in the past few days. Imagine flipping around and standing on a beam that is 4-inch wide when you are experiencing those symptoms. They are so strong though and passionate about the sport. If they can safely compete, they push through it even if they feel miserable.”

Kyla Krause competed as an all-around for the first time this season and won three events for the Raiders while compiling 35.05 total points. That was easily enough to win the all-around competition over Tigers Abby Pietsch (33.7) and Alyvia Dietsche (33.5).

“It is great to see Kyla back in her element full time,” Brushaber said. “She helps the team score tremendously, but it is so much more than that. Having Kyla back on all-around is such a boost for the girls in every way. The girls look up to her and she is so funny. She inspires them to keep learning and grow. She is so smart, encouraging, supportive, and hard working. I am so happy for her that she is healthy to compete fully.”

Each of the Raiders’ five varsity vaulters got better on their second attempts and earned a team score of 34.9 in the event, easily a season-high.

After taking time to allow an ankle injury to heal, Krause vaulted for the first time and hit her Yurchenko well enough to earn a score of 9.25, giving her a 0.2-point margin of victory over Dietsche. Raylin Rothmeier landed her second attempt to earn a season-best 8.8 that was good for third and Delaina Meyer tied Tiger Kiki Manicke for fifth with an 8.5.

Ellison Carbaugh’s 8.35 was her best of the season and good for eighth. Veronica Mateer added an 8.15.

“Raylin, Ellison, and Kyla had their personal bests this season,” Brushaber said. “Sure, it was Kyla’s first vault of the season but she proved how impactful and professional she is by earning a 9.25. Veronica was trying a new vault to see how it would score, so that was a bold risk for her to implement and she pulled it off. Delaina Meyer was .05 away from tying her personal best this season. She is powerful, elegant and so consistent that I know exactly what we will get for a score