2026 WIAC Women’s Gymnastics Championship/NCGA West Regional (Presented by Culver’s) Preview

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will strive for a sixth consecutive first-place finish at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Gymnastics Championship/National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) West Regional (presented by Culver’s) on March 7. The 52nd edition of the championship will be hosted by Winona State University (Minn.) at McCown Gymnasium.
 
The Titans won the 19th conference title in program history last year with a championship record score of 193.925. UW-La Crosse was second with 192.975, UW-Whitewater third with 192.850, Winona State fourth with 191.900, UW-Stout fifth with 191.250, UW-Eau Claire sixth with 189.250, Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) seventh with 188.500, Simpson College (Iowa) eighth with 187.900 and Hamline University (Minn.) ninth with 181.875.
 
UW-La Crosse owns a conference-best 24 titles, while UW-Whitewater has five and UW-Stout one. Former member UW-Madison secured two.
 
The conference meet will also serve as the West Region qualifier for the NCGA championship that will be held March 20 and hosted by State University of New York Cortland. This year’s conference championship will consist of two sessions with the first beginning at 12:30 p.m., and include Winona State, Simpson, UW-Stout, Gustavus Adolphus and Hamline. The second session will feature UW-Oshkosh, UW-Whitewater, UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire, and start at 6:00 p.m.
 
This year’s event features gymnasts that have claimed individual titles at previous conference championships, including: UW-La Crosse’s Raina Christenson (2025/balance beam) and Lucy Warren (2025/balance beam); and UW-Oshkosh’s Amaya McConkay (2025/uneven parallel bars) and Jay Ratkowski (2025/floor exercise).
 
The top-six finishers in each event receive All-Conference designation.
 
The WIAC Honor Roll from this season includes the top-three scores – in the vault: UW-Whitewater’s Juliette Rider (9.850); UW-Oshkosh’s Reanna McGibboney (9.825); and UW-La Crosse’s Cobi Powell (9.800), UW-Oshkosh’s Ome Ellis (9.800), Simpson’s Kaelyn Tally (9.800) and UW-Stout’s Jessica Qualich (9.800).
 
In the uneven parallel bars: UW-Whitewater’s Elaine Copeland (9.825); and UW-La Crosse’s Madalyn McCormick (9.800), UW-Oshkosh’s Averie Evans (9.800), Simpson’s Evalyn Resnick (9.800), UW-Whitewater’s Ariana Goodwin (9.800) and Winona State’s Kaylee Bateman (9.800); and UW-Eau Claire’s Kinley Rose (9.775), UW-La Crosse’s Claire Robbins (9.775), UW-Oshkosh’s Hadley Bretschneider (9.775), Simpson’s Alexa Denton (9.775), UW-Stout’s Jamie Beatty (9.775), and UW-Whitewater’s Jane Heffernan (9.775) and Paige Magel (9.775).
 
In the balance beam: UW-Oshkosh’s Kristina Jakubiak (9.875); UW-La Crosse’s Madalyn McCormick (9.850) and UW-Oshkosh’s Ome Ellis (9.850); and UW-Eau Claire’s Hareet Gehlon (9.825), UW-La Crosse’s Raina Christenson (9.825) and UW-Oshkosh’s Hannah Hughes (9.825).
 
In the vault:  UW-Oshkosh’s Jay Ratkowski (9.850); UW-Whitewater’s Juliette Rider (9.825) and Winona State’s Frankie Jo MacAskill (9.825); and UW-Eau Claire’s Anna Preussner (9.800) and Hannah Riha (9.800), UW-Oshkosh’s Ome Ellis (9.800) and Reanna McGibboney (9.800), and Simpson’s Kaelyn Tally (9.800).
 
In the all-around: UW-Whitewater’s Paige Magel (38.800); Simpson’s Olivia Hedary (37.725); and Gustavus Adolphus’ Cara Wong (37.525).
 
Additional gymnasts from remaining conference teams not mentioned in the top three of the honor roll, but producing strong performances this season include Hamline’s Carly Banta and Clara Gilles.
 

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