Gymnasts continue winning

• Brown on the beam

Bob Burrows photo Wildcat senior Megan Brown performs on the balance beam at the Hudson Invitational Saturday.

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The Wildcat varsity gymnastics team came through again, continuing its winning ways at the Jan. 29-30 weekend Raider Invite.

The Cats finished over eight points ahead of its nearest competitor and host, Hudson High School.

The gymnasts posted a total team score of 136.6; not quite as high as last week’s record-breaking score, but still high enough to beat Hudson, which came in second at 128.6

River Falls was first in every event, except the vault, where Wildcat Karli Place came in second, just barely missing the top spot. Tartan High School gymnast Diana Albrecht’s score of 9.25 beat Place’s which was 9.15.

However, two other Cats also placed in the vault’s top 10: Fourth, fifth and sixth place scores were tied by Wildcat gymnasts Riley Claude and Paige Skorseth and Red Wing, Minn., gymnast Irina Anderson. All three scored an impressive 9.0.

Claude’s and Skorseth’s performances in the remaining events led the way for the team’s victory. Claude scored first in the all around (9.35); first on the uneven parallel bars (9.0); first on the balance beam (9.35); and first on the floor exercise (9.32).

Skorseth came in second in those same events: 9.27 in the all around; 8.65 on the uneven parallel bars; 8.60 on the balance beam; and 9.27 on the floor exercise.

In addition, several other Cats placed in the top 10. They included: Megan Brown, ninth place on the uneven parallel bars (7.52) and fifth place on the balance beam (8.22); and Place, who scored seventh on the floor exercise (8.70).

“I’m so proud of all the girls,” said Assistant Coach Hanna Danke. “Line ups were different this meet, and the girls that had to step up and fill those spots did a wonderful job.”

The Wildcat junior varsity gymnasts also took part at the Raider Invite beating Tartan High School by just under eight points for first place. The JV Cats’ overall score was 118.05 compared to Tartan at 110.35.

Rachel Paulson, who also serves as an assistant gymnastics coach, was impressed with the team.

“This was the first tournament for most of our JV girls,” Paulson began. “They handled the pressure well and kept a great attitude. They ended up on top which was a great experience for them!

“It was exhilarating to take control of both teams and be ‘head coaches’ (along with Danke) for a day.”

Tags: sports, prep, gymnastics