Busacker Earns All-America Honors
At NCGA Championship
| UW-Oshkosh’s Kelly Busacker
(Jr. • LaVista, Neb.) finished 12th on the uneven
bars to earn All-America second team honors at the National
Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship held
Friday (March 28) and Saturday (March 29) in Cortland, N.Y.
Busacker scored 9.10 points as one of 14 participants in
the finals of the uneven bars event. She also competed on
the balance beam, but failed to qualify for the finals.
In 2006, she finished 11th on the uneven bars with a combined
score of 18.275.
Event titles went to UW-La Crosse’s Gabi Hooper and
UW-Whitewater’s Justine Weyer on the vault with a
score of 9.675, UW-Stout’s Naomi Delara on the balance
beam with a count of 9.80, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s
Sophia Harrison on the uneven bars with a mark of 9.75 and
State University of New York-Brockport’s Lauren Gildemeyer
in the floor exercise with a tally of 9.85.
Olivia Oller of Ursinus College (Pa.) won the all-around
competition with a score of 38.30.
The top 10 finishers in the all-around competition earned
All-America first team recognition. In the individual events,
the top six finishers secured All-America first team accolades
while athletes placing seven through 12 received All-America
second team honors.
Also competing at the meet, but failing to advance to the
finals were UW-Oshkosh’s Stefanie Armstrong (So. •
Kennesaw, Ga.), Brynn Dorsey (Jr. • Oshkosh), Stacie
Jenkins (Fr. • Peoria, Ariz.), Rachel Morrison (Jr.
• Oswego, Ill.) and Vanessa Virbitsky (Sr. •
Harrisburg, Pa.).
Virbitsky competed on the uneven bars, the vault and in
the floor exercise. Armstrong and Jenkins both participated
in the floor exercise while Dorsey performed on the uneven
bars and Morrison on the vault.
The team championship went to UW-La Crosse as the Eagles
scored 189.05 points to capture its seventh title in eight
years and 12th overall.
State University of New York-Brockport finished second in
the team standings with 188.425 points, while State University
of New York-Cortland placed third with 188.375, Ursinus
College fourth with 188.05, UW-Whitewater fifth with 187.20
and Winona State University (Minn.) sixth with 185.625.
Sharing the NCGA Coach of the Year Award were Barb Gibson
of UW-La Crosse and Jeff Schepers of Ursinus College. UW-Oshkosh’s
Virbitsky was one of 30 athletes named to the NCGA’s
2008 Senior All-Academic Team.
|
Six Titans Headed To NCGA Championship
|
The
UW-Oshkosh women’s gymnastics team will be represented
by six athletes at this weekend’s National Collegiate
Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship in Cortland,
N.Y.
Titles in the team and individual all-around competition
will be awarded on Friday (March 28). The four individual
event championships will be conducted on Saturday (March
29), with the top 12 scorers from Friday’s preliminary
competition advancing to the finals.
Vanessa Virbitsky (Sr. • Harrisburg, Pa.) will
participate on the uneven bars, the vault and in the
floor exercise for the Titans. Last year, she tied for
first place on the vault with a score of 9.525 while
finishing eighth in the all-around competition with
a count of 37.20 and 12th on the balance beam with a
value of 8.625 to earn All-America recognition. In 2006,
Virbitsky picked up All-America honors after finishing
second on the vault with a combined score of 19.30.
Kelly Busacker (Jr. • LaVista, Neb.) will be competing
on both the balance beam and uneven bars. In 2006, she
finished 11th on the uneven bars with a combined score
of 18.275.
Rachel Morrison (Jr. • Oswego, Ill.) will attempt
to earn her first All-America prize on the vault. Last
year, she gained All-America honors after finishing
12th in the floor exercise with a score of 8.825.
UW-Oshkosh’s other competitors are Brynn Dorsey
(Jr. • Oshkosh) on the uneven bars and Stefanie
Armstrong (So. • Kennesaw, Ga.) and Stacie Jenkins
(Fr. • Peoria, Ariz.) in the floor exercise.
The top-12 individuals in each event and the top-10
individuals in the all-around competition received All-America
recognition.
Battling for the team championship are State University
of New York-Brockport, State University of New York
Cortland, Ursinus College (Pa.), UW-La Crosse, UW-Whitewater
and Winona State University (Minn.). UW-Oshkosh captured
the team title at last year’s meet. |
Virbitsky Receives WIAC Scholar-Athlete
Award
| UW-Oshkosh’s Vanessa
Virbitsky (Sr. • Harrisburg, Pa.) and UW-La Crosse’s
Kasey Clausen and have been named the 2008 winners of the
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Judy
Kruckman Women’s Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete Award.
Virbitsky maintains a 3.61 cumulative grade point average
as a major in both political science and journalism. She
has been recognized on her institutions Dean’s List
and is a three-time selection to the WIAC’s Scholastic
Honor Roll.
A two-year team captain, Virbitsky is a four-time All-WIAC
honoree. Last season, she finished first on the vault to
help the Titans to the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association
(NCGA) championship. Virbitsky is a four-time NCGA All-American,
placing first on the vault, eighth in the all-around competition
and 12th on the balance beam in 2007 and second on the vault
in 2006.
She is a member of the Public Relations Student Society
of America and has served as a volunteer with Habitat for
Humanity and the American Cancer Society. Virbitsky has
worked as an assistant in UW-Oshkosh’s Sports Information
Office and as a reporter for the school’s newspaper.
Clausen (Sr. • Apple Valley, Minn.), who carries a
3.59 cumulative grade point average, is majoring in secondary
education with a minor in political science and economics.
She is a three-time member of the WIAC’s Scholastic
Honor Roll and has been recognized on UW-La Crosse’s
Dean’s List every semester.
A two-year team captain, Clausen is a three-time All-WIAC
performer and has earned her team’s Most Dedicated
Award the last two seasons. She claimed All-America honors
in the vault, uneven bars and all-around in 2005 and was
a member of UW-La Crosse’s back-to-back NCGA championship
teams in 2005 and 2006.
Clausen is a member of the National Educator’s Association
and Amnesty International USA. In addition, she has volunteered
with Habitat for Humanity, Girl Scouts, Food Shelf and UW-La
Crosse’s Peer Run Education Program.
Also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award
were Gustavus Adolphus College's (Minn.) Danielle Berg and
Kelsie Droogsma, UW-Eau Claire’s Kristi Olson and
Staci Solin, UW-La Crosse’s Jacqueline Schellinger
and UW Whitewater’s Alison Lewis.
The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman
and sponsored by Hewlett-Packard. Kruckman served as Assistant
Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98. Prior to this appointment,
she functioned as Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1984-96.
In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award,
a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average,
be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to
graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum
of two years.
|
Titans Place Sixth At
WIAC Championship/NCGA West Regional
|
Vanessa
Virbitsky (Sr. • Harrisburg, Pa.) took second
place on the vault and Brynn Dorsey (Jr. • Oshkosh)
third on the uneven bars as the UW-Oshkosh women’s
gymnastics team finished sixth at the WIAC Championship
held Saturday (March 8) in St. Paul, Minn.
UW-La Crosse totaled 186.20 team points to win its 12th
straight WIAC title and 19th overall. UW-Whitewater
finished second with 186.025 points, while Winona State
University (Minn.) placed third with 183.225 and UW-Eau
Claire fourth with 179.75. UW-Stout ranked fifth with
178.925 points, UW-Oshkosh sixth with 178.25, Gustavus
Adolphus College (Minn.) seventh with 176.75 and Hamline
University (Minn.) eighth with 174.95. UW-Oshkosh finished
second at last year’s meet with 182.675 points.
The WIAC Championship also doubled as the National Collegiate
Gymnastics Association (NCGA) West Regional. Teams advancing
from the regional meet to the NCGA Championship on March
28-29 in Cortland, N.Y., were UW-La Crosse, UW-Whitewater
and Winona State University. UW-La Crosse captured its
sixth consecutive NCGA West Regional title at Saturday’s
meet.
UW-Oshkosh’s overall team scored featured 45.45
points on the vault, 45.025 in the floor exercise, 44.175
on the uneven bars and 43.60 on the balance beam.
Virbitsky took second place on the vault with 9.55 points.
She also finished 12th in the all-around competition
with 35.65 points and 15th in the floor exercise with
9.30.
Dorsey listed third among all competitors on the uneven
bars with 9.45 points.
UW-Oshkosh’s Kelly Busacker (Jr. • LaVista,
Neb.) added a ninth-place score of 9.25 points on the
uneven bars and a 14th-place value of 9.10 points on
the balance beam.
Other UW-Oshkosh results had Stefanie Armstrong (So.
• Kennesaw, Ga.) finish 13th on the balance beam
with 9.125 points and Rachel Morrison (Jr. • Oswego,
Ill.) place 15th in the all-around competition with
35.20.
UW-Whitewater’s Justine Weyer dominated the competition,
winning four of the five individual events, while UW-La
Crosse’s Gabi Hooper claimed the balance beam
title.
Weyer placed first in the all-around competition with
a meet-record 38.425 points. She also had winning scores
of 9.65 points in the floor exercise, 9.60 on the vault
and 9.575 on the uneven bars.
Hooper took the top finish on the balance beam with
9.625 points.
The top six individuals in each event earn All-WIAC
honors.
UW-Whitewater’s Jennifer White was named as the
WIAC’s Coach of the Year. UW-La Crosse’s
Kasey Clausen and UW-Oshkosh’s Vanessa Virbitsky
were selected as the winners of the WIAC’s Judy
Kruckman Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. |
Division I Competitors Too Much For
Titans
|  The UW-Oshkosh women’s gymnastics
team competed against three NCAA Division I opponents and
finished fourth at the Uno’s Flip For The Cure Classic
held Friday (Feb. 24) in Tempe, Ariz.
Seventh-ranked Stanford University (Calif.) won the meet
with 195.80 points, while San Jose State University (Calif.)
finished second with 194.20. 17th-ranked Arizona State University
placed third with 194.00 points and UW-Oshkosh fourth with
181.125.
UW-Oshkosh, which recorded its highest overall team score
of the season, amassed 47.075 points in the floor exercise,
45.200 on the vault, 44.675 on the uneven bars and 44.175
on the balance beam. The Titans’ scores on the uneven
bars and in the floor exercise were season bests.
Stanford University accounted for three of the five individual
event winners. Nicole Ourada topped all competitors on the
vault with a figure of 9.925, while Liz Tricase won the
uneven bars with a mark of 9.925. Lauren Elmore earned first
place for the Cardinal in the floor exercise with 9.875
points.
Arizona State University’s Kaitlynn Bormann finished
in the top spot on the balance beam with a score of 9.825.
Veronica Porte of San Jose State University took the all-around
competition with 39.050 points.
The Titans had three gymnasts eclipse 35.00 points in the
all-around competition as Vanessa Virbitsky (Sr. •
Harrisburg, Pa.) finished sixth with 36.175, Stacie Jenkins
(Fr. • Peoria, Ariz.) seventh with 36.125 and Rachel
Morrison (Jr. • Oswego, Ill.) eighth with 35.575.
UW-Oshkosh also received
15th-place scores of 9.70 on the uneven bars and 9.575 in
the floor exercise from Kelly Busacker (Jr. • LaVista,
Neb.) and Virbitsky, respectively. Busacker added a 16th-place
score of 9.25 on the balance beam.
Gretchen Fackelman (So. • St. Louis, Mo.) contributed
a 17th-place score of 9.425 in the floor exercise.
|
Eagles Fly Away From Titans
|  Gabi Hooper claimed first place in three
of the four individual events as the UW-La Crosse women's
gymnastics team defeated UW-Oshkosh, 183.15-177.00, on Friday
(Feb. 22) in Kolf Sports Center.
Hooper scored 9.70 points on the vault, 9.625 in the floor
exercise and 9.35 on the balance beam to pace the Eagles.
Kasey Clausen grabbed the top spot on the uneven bars with
9.45 points to complete UW-La Crosse's sweep of the top
individual event rankings.
UW-Oshkosh’s Vanessa
Virbitsky (Sr. • Harrisburg, Pa.) won the all-around
competition with 36.775 points, while UW-La Crosse's Jackie
LaFleur finished second with 36.60.
Virbitsky also tied for second
place in the floor exercise with a score of 9.50, finished
third on the balance beam with a mark of 9.10, ranked fourth
on the vault with a value of 9.40 and listed sixth on the
uneven bars with a tally of 8.775.
The Titans' remaining second-place finish went to Rachel
Morrison (Jr • Oswego, Ill.) in the floor exercise
with a score of 9.50.
UW-Oshkosh's
Stacie Jenkins (Fr. • Peoria, Ariz.) took fourth place
in the all-around competition with 34.375 points as did
Kelly Busacker (Jr. • LaVista, Neb.) on the balance
beam with a score of 9.05.
The Titans received fifth-place finishes from Stephanie
Armstrong (So. • Kennesaw, Ga.) on the vault with
a score of 9.30 and Brynn Dorsey (Jr. • Oshkosh) on
the uneven bars with a count of 8.80.
The
teams recorded season bests on the vault, with UW-La Crosse
scoring 47.075 points and UW-Oshkosh 46.05.
UW-La Crosse also scored 46.175
points in the floor exercise, 44.975 on the uneven bars
and 44.925 on the balance beam. UW-Oshkosh also tallied
46.10 in the floor exercise, 43.725 on the balance beam
and 41.125 on the uneven bars.
|
Gusties Rally To Nip Titans
|  Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) rallied
in the fourth and final rotation to edge UW-Oshkosh, 177.15-176.95,
in a women's gymnastics meet held Saturday (Feb. 16) in
St. Peter, Minn.
Gustavus Adolphus College trailed 133.325-132.50 after three
rotations, but the Gusties pulled out the victory by posting
a meet-ending score of 44.65 in the floor exercise competition.
UW-Oshkosh lost its advantage after recording a balance
beam score of 43.425 in the fourth rotation.
UW-Oshkosh’s overall team score also included 45.375
points on the vault, 44.275 in the floor exercise and 43.875
on the uneven bars. Gustavus Adolphus College’s overall
team count also featured 45.30 points on the vault, 44.50
on the balance beam and 42.70 on the uneven bars.
In the all-around competition, UW-Oshkosh’s Stacie
Jenkins (Fr. • Peoria, Ariz.) finished first with
35.60 points. Kelly Mathewson of Gustavus Adolphus College
placed second with 35.50 points and Vanessa Virbitsky (Sr.
• Harrisburg, Pa.) of UW-Oshkosh third with 35.025.
UW-Oshkosh collected first-place finishes in three of the
four individual event contests as Virbitsky won the vault
with a score of 9.30, Kelly Busacker (Jr. • LaVista,
Neb.) the uneven bars with a count of 9.275 and Rachel Morrison
(Jr. • Oswego, Ill.) the balance beam with a value
of 9.00.
Jennifer Berglund of Gustavus Adolphus College took first
place in the floor exercise with a score of 9.225.
Jenkins added three top-six finishes and Virbitsky and Stefanie
Armstrong (So. • Kennesaw, Ga.) two each. Jenkins
placed third in the floor exercise with a score of 9.10,
fourth on the uneven bars with a number of 8.675 and fifth
on the vault with a figure of 9.025. Virbitsky finished
fourth in the floor exercise with a score of 9.00 and sixth
on the uneven bars with a tally of 8.60. Armstrong ranked
third on the vault with a score of 9.125 and sixth in the
floor exercise with a mark of 8.775.
UW-Oshkosh's other top finishes featured Brynn Dorsey (Jr.
• Oshkosh) placing third on the uneven bars with a
score of 8.925, Busacker listing sixth on the balance beam
with a calculation of 8.85 and Morrison ranking sixth on
the vault with a rate of 9.025.
|
Titans Trip Blue Devils
|  Vanessa Virbitsky (Sr. • Harrisburg,
Pa.) had the highest score in three individual categories
as the UW-Oshkosh women's gymnastics team defeated UW-Stout,
179.925-177.125, on Friday (Feb. 8) in Kolf Sports Center.
Virbitsky
won the all-around competition with 36.775 points. Her all-around
total included first-place scores of 9.45 in the floor exercise
and 9.40 on the vault. She also placed third on the balance
beam with 9.225 points and fifth on the uneven bars with
8.70.
The
remaining individual winners belonged to UW-Stout as Naomi
DeLara posted a school-record score of 9.70 on the balance
beam and Meghan Hargens a count of 9.19 on the uneven bars.
UW-Oshkosh
swept the top-four listings in the floor exercise. After
Virbitsky's winning effort, the Titans had Stacie Jenkins
(Fr. • Peoria, Ariz.) and Rachel Morrison (Jr. •
Oswego, Ill.) tie for second place with 9.325 points and
Stefanie Armstrong (So. • Kennesaw, Ga.) finish fourth
with 9.25.
The
Titans had two other second-place finishers as Armstrong
scored 9.10 points on the vault and Kelly Busacker (Jr.
• LaVista, Neb.) 9.00 on the uneven bars.
Other
third-place finishes went to the Titans' Busacker on the
balance beam with a score of 9.225 and Brynn Dorsey (Jr.
• Oshkosh) on the uneven bars with a value of 8.95.
UW-Oshkosh
also had Jenkins finish fourth in the all-around competition
with 35.625 points, Morrison fifth on the vault with 8.975
and Gretchen Fackelman (So. • St. Louis, Mo.) fifth
on the balance beam with 9.225.
UW-Oshkosh's
team score was its highest of the season. The Titans, who
presented first-year head coach Lauren Mareno with her first
collegiate victory, tabulated 45.85 points in the floor
exercise, 45.35 on the balance beam, 44.825 on the vault
and 43.90 on the uneven bars. |
UW-Oshkosh Gymnasts "Think Pink"
On the 18-person women's gymnastics
team at UW-Oshkosh, six team members have relatives who
have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Between the women’s
basketball team and the women's indoor track and field roster,
there are more than 20 additional connections to the disease.
“This is a staggering number,” said Lauren Mareno,
head women's gymnastics coach at UW-Oshkosh. “Someone
needs to put up a fight for those who have been fighting
breast cancer for so long.”
Breast cancer strikes without warning and can happen to
anyone at anytime. Recognizing the deadly potential of the
disease in themselves and loved ones, female athletes across
UW-Oshkosh are teaming up to take a stand against the number
one form of cancer in women.
Beginning on Feb. 8, the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball,
gymnastics, and track and field teams will dribble, flip,
run, jump and throw during a two-week-long Think Pink! fundraiser
for breast cancer research.
“Like athletes, breast cancer survivors have this
incredibly powerful image of strength,” said Jenny
Stein, a UW- Oshkosh track and field heptathlete. “For
us to bring three women’s sports together for breast
cancer research — there are no words to describe the
strength in that combination.”
The women’s basketball team began the Titan athlete’s
push for breast cancer awareness in 2006 after former UW-Oshkosh
women’s basketball player and current graduate assistant
coach Becky Knapp had a close family encounter with this
disease.
Knapp’s mother, Kathy Knapp, was diagnosed with breast
cancer in July 2005.
“You just don’t know when it can happen or who
it could happen to,” Knapp said. “Whether you’re
affected personally or have to watch someone you know and
love be diagnosed, it’s a painful experience.”
A four-year guard for the Titans from 2004-07, Knapp turned
to her basketball family for support.
“When my mom was diagnosed, everyone was so supportive,”
Knapp said. “Former assistant coach Kris Schoonover
was especially supportive and helped to organize breast
cancer awareness events through basketball.”
In just two years the women’s basketball team has
collected more than $10,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation
for breast cancer.
“Raising money for this cause has always been a big
deal to this program,” said Jessica Abitz, co-captain
of the women’s basketball team. “This year is
no different.”
The only difference in 2008 will be the first-ever collaboration
between women’s basketball, gymnastics, and track
and field.
“This just goes to show how involved our athletes
and our teams are in giving back to this community,”
UW-Oshkosh director of athletics Allen Ackerman said. “I’m
delighted that our teams are taking the initiative to raise
money for a cause that affects every one of us in some way.”
The 2008 "Think Pink"
Initiative at UW-Oshkosh begins when the Titan gymnasts
wear pink ribbons on their leotards during a dual meet against
UW-Stout at 7 p.m. Feb. 8 in Kolf Sports Center. The Blue
Devil gymnasts also will support the cause, and pink ribbons
will be available to spectators at the door.
“We figured, if the basketball team can do it, so
can we,” Mareno said. “Awareness is just as
important as donation.”
Keeping donations in mind, however, the gymnasts will collect
pledges for a Cartwheel-A-Thon to be held at halftime during
the UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball game against UW-La
Crosse in Kolf Sports Center at 1 p.m. on Feb. 9. Cartwheel-A-Thon
donors can pledge a flat rate or donate a set amount per
number of cartwheels performed in three minutes —
up to 100 cartwheels.
“Our goal is to raise $45 per gymnast,” said
gymnast Rachel Morrison, whose grandmother is currently
in remission from being diagnosed with breast cancer 20
years ago. “If we meet this goal, we will be able
to give a check for more than $800 to the National Breast
Cancer Foundation. That’s powerful.”
The women’s basketball team will continue the two-week
Think Pink! campaign by sporting pink T-shirts during warm-ups
and pink shoelaces during the Feb. 9 game. Other Think Pink!
activities include free T-shirts for the first 100 fans
wearing pink and an action-packed halftime show featuring
breast cancer survivors, a Deanna Favre book giveaway, the
gymnast’s Cartwheel-A-Thon and a free-throw contest.
To conclude the breast cancer awareness events, the women’s
track and field team will wear pink ribbons as they run,
jump and throw at the UW-Oshkosh Invitational on Feb. 16
in Kolf Sports Center.
The "Think Pink" initiative is a global, unified
effort for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s
(WBCA) nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer
awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities
and beyond. In 2007, more than 120 schools unified for this
effort and helped make the inaugural year of the WBCA’s
"Think Pink" promotion a success.
The 2008 initiative has already unified over 600 women’s
basketball teams for the cause.
Written by Vanessa Virbitsky |
Titans Finish Third At
Gershon/McLellan Invitational
|  The UW-Oshkosh women's gymnastics team
recorded its highest score of the season and finished third
at the 27th Annual Gershon/McLellan Invitational held Friday
(Feb. 1) in La Crosse.
Host UW-La Crosse captured
the team title with 185.425 points. Winona State University
(Minn.) placed second with 183.625 points, UW-Oshkosh third
with 177.80 and Hamline University (Minn.) fourth with 174.575.
UW-Oshkosh's team score featured
46.425 points on the balance beam, 44.175 on the uneven
bars, 44.10 on the vault and 43.10 in the floor exercise.
The Titans' values on the balance beam and uneven bars were
season bests.
Vanessa Virbitsky (Sr. •
Harrisburg, Pa.) finished fourth in the all-around competition
with 35.975 points to lead UW-Oshkosh. She also placed sixth
in the floor exercise with 9.25 points and seventh on the
uneven bars with 8.975.
In addition to Virbitsky, UW-Oshkosh
had two other top-10 finishers on the uneven bars as Brynn
Dorsey (Jr. • Oshkosh) finish fourth with a score
of 9.275 and Kelly Busacker (Jr. • LaVista, Neb.)
ninth with a count of 8.95.
UW-Oshkosh's top individual
results were rounded out by Darlene Herrmann's (So. •
Newton, N.J.) sixth-place score of 9.60 on the balance beam
and Rachel Morrison's (Jr. • Oswego, Ill.) eighth-place
mark of 9.20 on the vault.
Erin Sommer led UW-La Crosse
to the team title by winning the all-around competition
with a score of 37.225 and the balance beam with a meet-record
figure of 9.75. She also finished second in the floor exercise
and fourth on the vault with scores of 9.40 and 9.425, respectively.
UW-La Crosse had another individual
champion as Kasey Clausen posted a winning score of 9.65
on the uneven bars.
Winona State University owned
two individual champions in Melissa Baudhuin and Alexandra
Nugent. Baudhuin performed to a winning score of 9.60 on
the vault and Nugent to a top value of 9.425 in the floor
exercise.
|
Warhawks Clip Titans
|  All four events went in favor of UW-Whitewater
as the Warhawks recorded a 177.50-175.025 victory over the
UW-Oshkosh women's gymnastics team on Friday (Jan. 25) in
Kolf Sports Center.
UW-Whitewater outscored UW-Oshkosh,
44.475-42.875, on the uneven bars, with the Warhawks' five-person
total being the sixth-best in school history. UW-Whitewater
also defeated UW-Oshkosh in narrow scores of 44.15-44.05
on the vault, 43.65-43.075 on the balance beam and 45.225-45.025
in the floor exercise.
Vanessa Virbitsky (Sr. •
Harrisburg, Pa.) paced UW-Oshkosh by taking first place
in the floor exercise with 9.325 points and on the vault
with 9.175. She also finished second in the all-around competition
with a score of 36.80, third on the balance beam with a
mark of 9.10 and fourth on the uneven bars with a value
of 9.20.
UW-Oshkosh received second-place
listings from Kelly Busacker (Jr. • LaVista, Neb.)
on the uneven bars with a score of 9.325 and Stacie Jenkins
(Fr. • Peoria, Ariz.) in the floor exercise with a
tally of 9.30. Jenkins added a pair of fourth-place finishes
by scoring 34.25 points in the all-around competition and
8.875 on the vault.
The Titans also had Paula Delsart
(Fr. • Green Bay) rank third in the all-around competition
with 34.65 points, fifth on the vault with 8.75 and sixth
on the balance beam with 8.60. UW-Oshkosh's Rachel Morrison
(Jr. • Oswego, Ill.) contributed fifth-place scores
of 9.05 in the floor exercise and 8.80 on the balance beam.
Justine Weyer was a multiple
winner for UW-Whitewater as she registered first-place scores
of 36.875 in the all-around competition and 9.45 on the
uneven bars. She also placed second on the vault with 9.125
points and fourth on the balance beam with 9.05.
UW-Whitewater's Ginelle Galub
took first place on the balance beam with a score of 9.175. |
Warriors Fend Off Titans
|  The UW-Oshkosh women's gymnastics team
received individual victories from Kelly Busacker (Jr. •
LaVista, Neb.) and Vanessa Virbitsky (Sr. • Harrisburg,
Pa.) in a 179.125-175.35 loss to Winona State University
(Minn.) on Thursday (Jan. 17) in Winona, Minn.
Busacker competed in two events
and won the uneven bars with 9.225 points. She also finished
sixth on the balance beam with a score of 8.475.
Virbitsky totaled 36.425 points
to win the all-around competition. Her score included second-place
values of 8.875 on the balance beam and 9.35 in the floor
exercise. Virbitsky also placed third on the vault with
a score of 9.325 and fourth on the uneven bars with a mark
of 8.875.
Winona State University had
three event winners. Alexandra Nugent finished first in
the floor exercise with a score of 9.55 and tied teammate
Melissa Baudhuin for the top ranking on the vault with a
count of 9.35. The Warriors' Eileen Strube won the balance
beam with a score of 8.95.
UW-Oshkosh's Stacie Jenkins
(Fr. • Peoria, Ariz.) recorded a pair of top-four
finishes by placing third in the all-around competition
and fourth on the balance beam with scores of 34.55 and
8.65, respectively. She also posted a sixth-place score
of 9.075 in the floor exercise.
Other UW-Oshkosh results featured
Brynn Dorsey's (Jr. • Oshkosh) second-place score
of 8.90 on the uneven bars, Paula Delsart's (Fr. •
Green Bay) fourth-place tally of 33.565 in the all-around
competition and Rachel Morrison's (Jr. • Oswego, Ill.)
fourth-place figure of 9.275 in the floor exercise.
|
Titans Take Second At UW-Eau Claire
Invitational
|  Vanessa Virbitsky (Sr. • Harrisburg,
Pa.) captured the floor exercise title to lead the UW-Oshkosh
women's gymnastics team to a second-place finish at the
UW-Eau Claire Invitational held Friday (Jan. 11) in Eau
Claire.
Virbitsky scored 9.30 points
in the floor exercise to share the top ranking with UW-La
Crosse's Gabi Hooper. She also placed third in the all-around
competition with a score of 35.15, fifth on the uneven bars
with a count of 8.75 and sixth on the balance beam with
a mark of 8.50.
UW-La Crosse won the four-team
meet with 177.00 points, while UW-Oshkosh finished second
with 170.70. UW-Eau Claire placed third with 170.15 points
and Hamline University (Minn.) fourth with 169.875.
UW-La Crosse's Jackie LaFleur
took first place in the all-around competition with a score
of 36.25. She also finished second on the vault (9.525),
third on the balance beam (8.725) and fifth in the floor
exercise (9.125).
UW-La Crosse had two other
first-place mentions as Hooper won the vault with 9.55 points
and Schaelyn McFadden tied UW-Eau Claire's Kristi Olson
for the top listing on the uneven bars with a score of 8.925.
Hamline University's Brynn Stenslie recorded 9.05 points
to win the balance beam.
UW-Oshkosh's highest team score
came in the floor exercise. The Titans tallied 44.50 points
on the apparatus, including Virbitsky's first-place score
of 9.30, Rachel Morrison's (Jr. • Oswego, Ill.) third-place
tally of 9.25 and Stacie Jenkins' (Fr. • Peoria, Ariz.)
seventh-place count of 9.10.
Jenkins contributed two additional
top-seven finishes by placing fifth on the vault with a
score of 9.00 and seventh in the all-around competition
with a mark of 33.50.
The Titans also had Brynn Dorsey
(Jr. • Oshkosh) finish fourth on the vault with a
score of 8.85, Gretchen Fackelman (So. • St. Louis,
Mo.) fifth on the balance beam with a grade of 8.60, Morrison
sixth on the balance beam with a tally of 8.50 and Ryan
Metzger (Fr. • Hanover Park, Ill.) seventh on the
vault with a figure of 8.95.
|
Pipers Topple Titans In Season Opener
|  The inability to count five scores on
the uneven bars proved costly for the UW-Oshkosh women's
gymnastics team as the Titans dropped a 168.125-160.025
season-opening decision to Hamline University (Minn.) on
Friday (Jan. 4) in Kolf Sports Center.
UW-Oshkosh had only four entries
on the uneven bars and tallied a score of just 28.875 points.
Hamline University took advantage of the Titans' lack of
competitors on the apparatus and compiled a five-person
score of 37.50.
The Titans scored five gymnasts
in the remaining three categories, posting values of 45.15
on the vault, 43.875 on the balance beam and 42.125 in the
floor exercise.
Hamline University, which spoiled
the debut of UW-Oshkosh head coach Lauren Mareno, also recorded
five-person scores of 45.025 on the vault, 44.675 on the
balance beam and 40.925 in the floor exercise. The Pipers
swept the top-three individual listings on the balance beam.
Hamline University's Molly
Weber won the all-around competition with a score of 34.25.
She also finished second on both the balance beam and uneven
bars with scores of 9.10 and 7.875, respectively.
The Pipers had two other first-place
listings as Brynn Stenslie posted a score of 9.25 on the
balance beam and Kristen Weniger a figure of 8.025 on the
uneven bars. Stenslie also finished third in the floor exercise
with a score of 8.55.
Vanessa Virbitsky (Sr. •
Harrisburg, Pa.) recorded winning scores of 9.55 on the
vault and 9.10 in the floor exercise to lead UW-Oshkosh.
She also registered a third-place score of 33.95 in the
all-around competition.
Finishing second for the Titans
were Stacie Jenkins (Fr. • Peoria, Ariz.) in the all-around
competition with a score of 33.975 and Rachel Morrison (Jr.
• Oswego, Ill.) in the floor exercise with a mark
of 8.925. Jenkins also ranked third on both the uneven bars
and vault with scores of 7.65 and 9.15, respectively.
|
|