Women's Gymnastics

UW-Oshkosh Captures Fourth Straight Women’s Gymnastics Championship

ST. PAUL, Minn.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Gymnastics Championship/National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) West Regional (presented by Culver’s) at Hutton Arena on March 9.
 
The conference title is the fourth straight and 18th in the program history for the Titans. UW-Oshkosh posted a score of 192.875, while UW-Whitewater was second with 192.275, UW-La Crosse third with 192.175, UW-Stout fourth with 190.775, Winona State University (Minn.) fifth with 188.125, UW-Eau Claire sixth with 187.050, Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) seventh with 186.300 and Hamline University (Minn.) eighth with 183.350.
 
The conference championship also served as the West Regional qualifier for the NCGA Championship that will be conducted March 23 and hosted by Ursinus College (Pa.). UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater earned automatic spots into the national event by placing in the top two. At-large positions will be announced at a later date.
 
UW-Oshkosh’s Emily Buffington claimed a pair of individual titles. She established a WIAC Championship record with a score of 9.900 in the uneven parallel bars to win the event for the second time in her career (2022). She also emerged with a first-place finish in the all-around for the second straight year with a score of 38.400.
 
UW-Whitewater also collected two individual crowns as Kara Welsh was victorious in the vault for the second straight season with a score of 9.875. Her performance matched a championship record.
 
The Warhawks’ Sarah Knetzke shared the first-place spot on the podium in the balance beam with UW-Stout’s Effie Ferguson after both individuals posted a score of 9.775.
 
UW-La Crosse’s Rachel Chesley won the floor exercise with a score of 9.775.
 
UW-Eau Claire’s Harriet Toth was selected the Kwik Trip Gymnast of the Year, while UW-La Crosse’s Claire Robbins was recognized as the Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year. A newcomer is defined as a student-athlete who used her first season of participation in women’s gymnastics this season. Transfers are not eligible unless they didn’t participate in women’s gymnastics at their previous institution.
 
UW-Oshkosh’s Lauren Karnitz and Gustavus Adolphus’ Aryn DeGrood shared the Kwik Trip Coach of the Year award, and UW-La Crosse’s Rachel Chesley received the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
The top-six finishers in each event secured All-Conference accolades.
 
An All-Sportsmanship Team was chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school. Named to the squad were: Gustavus Adolphus College’s Alaina Syverson; Hamline University’s Brianna Weikel; UW-Eau Claire’s Cadence Cordova; UW-La Crosse’s Claudia Walter; UW-Oshkosh’s Kaylie Berens; UW-Stout’s Heidi Benningfield; UW-Whitewater’s Danielle Dudziak; and Winona State University’s Courtney Knutson.
 
Individual Event Champions:
Vault:  Kara Welsh (UW-Whitewater), 9.875*
Uneven Parallel Bars:  Emily Buffington (UW-Oshkosh), 9.900*
Balance Beam:  Effie Ferguson (UW-Stout) and Sarah Knetzke (UW-Whitewater), 9.775
Floor Exercise:  Rachel Chesley (UW-La Crosse), 9.775
All-Around:  Emily Buffington (UW-Oshkosh), 38.400
 
*WIAC Championship Record
 
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