MEDFORD-COLBYGYMNASTICS - Solid start for gymnasts, who finish 2nd in Hot Cocoa Invite

MEDFORD-COLBY GYMNASTICS

The Medford-Colby gymnastics team compiled meet-high team scores on the vault and balance beam while earning a solid second-place finish overall in Saturday’s season-opening Hot Cocoa Invitational held at Medford Area Elementary School.

The Raiders scored 127.55 points to surpass last year’s opening score of 125.825 and beat their Great Northern Conference Large Division rival Marshfield, who totaled 127.3 points.

The Rice Lake Warriors won the meet with 128.975 points, while Tomah (115.75) and Mosinee (105.25) rounded out the five-team field.

Medford-Colby filled a full JV lineup sheet as well and easily won that competition with a team score of 108.3, beating Marshfield (85.35), Mosinee (45), Tomah (38.4) and Rice Lake (34.65).

“I was very happy with where we landed in comparison to the other teams,” head coach Andrée Brushaber said. “Some of the girls were disappointed after the meet. I know we can be better, but I wanted the girls to take this as a positive for sure. It’s nice to get the first meet over with and the jitters done. Whenever we had some girls struggle a bit, others really showed up. That's very exciting going forward.”

The Raiders’ top five gymnasts did all of the varsity work Saturday, taking on allaround duties and competing in all four events. Delaina Meyer placed fifth in the day’s all-around scoring with a personalbest 32.5 points, Raylin Rothmeier was sixth with 32.25 points and Shayla Radlinger was seventh with 31.9 points in the meet. Bridget Cloud totaled 30.55 points in her first varsity all-around assignment, good for ninth place, and Veronica Mateer was 11th with 30.3.

The Raiders sealed their second-place finish by scoring 34.25 points in their last event of the meet, the vault. It was highlighted by a spectacular second attempt by Rothmeier, who stuck her landing and got a 9.0 to place second, just one-tenth point behind Marshfield’s Alyvia Dietsche. She was one-tenth ahead of Rice Lake’s Avery Ash, one of the state’s top Division 2 gymnasts. Rothmeier, a sophomore, tied her top score from a year ago.

Meyer was fifth on vault with an 8.65, Radlinger tied for sixth at 8.5, Cloud tied for 14th at 8.1 and Mateer got a 7.95.

“Raylin is so brave,” Brushaber said. “She just dusts herself off and rises to the occasion. Our veteran girls are that way. They are great influences on our new girls. I'm so proud of everyone with that event. We had some last minute decisions on that event, which Veronica and Bridget embraced. Those girls have such a drive and dedication. Then we have the consistency of Delaina and Shayla. Shayla has an unwavering confidence this year with a focus to make this year be her best yet. Things are really coming together for Delaina this year, which is wonderful. She really aims for perfection from herself. They both have been working other vaults and have them in their sights.”

Brushaber said prior to the meet that the balance beam could be one of the Raiders’ strengths this year and it looked like it in meet one. Dietsche won handily with a 9.2, but Rothmeier took second with a solid 8.55 and Meyer and Radlinger both had 8.2s on no-fall routines, good for a sixth-place tie. Cloud’s 8.4 nearly matched her personal-best of 8.475 of a year ago and tied her for fourth with Tomah’s Morgan Squires. Kiki Manicke of Marshfield was third at 8.5. Mateer tied for 11th at 8.0.

“The girls have so much potential,” Brushaber said. “Very clean routines, nice pace and their lines are gorgeous. Beam is a strength of ours and if the girls make some minor corrections we can be even stronger.”

Four scores in the sevens gave Medford-Colby a respectable 29.9-point showing on the uneven bars. The Raiders outscored everyone but Rice Lake (31.425) in that event.

Meyer led the team with a fifth-place score of 7.9, Radlinger was seventh at 7.6, Rothmeier took ninth with her 7.25, Mateer tied for 10th at 7.15 and Cloud was 13 at 6.8. Dietsche won with an 8.4, just ahead of teammate Olivia Sommers (8.375) and Ash was third at 8.25.

“There were girls that felt pretty good about their routines and then there were girls that may have commented that it was rough,” Brushaber said. “Overall, I hope they are happy about this first attempt. Onward and upward, I say. We have some cleaning up to do, but it’s coming together.”

In the floor exercise, the Raiders ranked third with 30.05 points, trailing Rice Lake (32.75) and Marshfield (31.25). Meyer was sixth at 7.75, Radlinger was seventh at 7.6, Rothmeier’s 7.45 was good for ninth and Cloud (7.25) and Mateer (7.2) were 11th and 12th. Ash’s 8.95 was the top score and her teammates Ajahnei Twyman (8.8) and Mackenzie Dalsbo (8.25) were second and third.

“Our girls have a variety of approaches,” Brushaber said. “Some are graceful and smooth while others are powerful and explosive. Both are equally beautiful to observe. I know they have some upgrades that will happen for us at the right time. We should improve on stamina and dance within the next month.”

Medford-Colby’s Brooke Buechel was the top all-around JV gymnast with 29.0 points, followed by teammates Jordyn Grant (26.5), Rylee Hartwig (26.5) and Lindsey Kauffman (26.3).

Buechel won the floor exercise at 7.5, while Kauffman tied for second at 6.5, while Grant (6.2), Hartwig (6.1) and Haddie Ziehlke (5.9) were fourth, fifth and eighth. Grant won the vault with her 8.5, Buechel was fourth at 8.1, Hartwig was fifth at 7.8, Kauffman tied for eighth at 7.4 and Kate Gierl tied for 12th at 7.2.

Buechel added a second-place finish on the balance beam at 7.4, Hartwig was sixth at 6.6, Grant was eighth at 6.1, Kauffman tied for ninth at 6.0 and Ada Freiberg was 16th at 3.95. Kauffman got a solid 6.4 to take second on the bars, Buechel and Hartwig tied for fifth at 6.0 and Grant was eighth at 5.7.

“The depth of our team this year is exciting,” Brushaber said. “Having Lindsey, Jordyn, Brooke, Rylee and all the new girls that decided to give it a shot this year is very good for the high school program. Moving forward, we could have some specialists in certain events from both ends, varsity and JV. Our girls that are new to the sport this year put together routines and faced fears Saturday. Gymnastics is not an easy sport at all and they held their own. (Assistant coach) Megan (Yanko) and I are so proud of them.”

Medford-Colby is at the Rhinelander Snowflake Invitational this coming Saturday. Competition starts at 10 a.m. at the YMCA of the Northwoods. The Raiders host Stevens Point Dec. 19 at 5:45 p.m. at MAES in their first Great Northern Conference dual meet of the winter.

Veronica Mateer eyes up her contact point on the vault during Saturday’s home meet. MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS