SAINT PETER, Minn. – Gustavus gymnastics is set to compete at the WIAC Championships this Saturday, March 8, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Mitchell Hall Gymnasium. The meet is also the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) West Region Qualifier for the NCGA National Championships, which will be held in Saint Peter on March 22. 

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for the event can be purchased online through the UW-La Crosse institutional website. To purchase tickets at any time, click here. Ticket prices for adults are $17, $12 for seniors (60+), and $7 for youth (18 or under). All purchases are non-refundable. 

GUSTIES AT THE WIAC CHAMPIONSHIP MEET

The Gusties have appeared at every WIAC championship event since 2005, when the team debuted at the conference meet with a fourth place finish, also the team's highest in program history. Prior to the 2024-25 season, six of the Gusties' top-25 scores had come at the WIAC meet, including a 186.925 at the 2022-23 championship and a 186.300 last season.  

The WIAC has recorded event champions since the 1976 meet, and, since then, the Gusties have earned three individual titles. Brittany Moore '07 finished first on the vault with a 9.525 in 2005, while Alex Kopp '17 won the beam (9.700) and all-around (9.775) in 2016. 

The host Eagles own the most championships, having won the meet team title 24 times, most recently in 2018. Oshkosh has claimed the last four championships, with 18 total in program history. UW-Whitewater has won five, Stout one, and UW-Madison two from 1976-77 as a former member of the conference.

HANDING OUT THE HARDWARE

The top six finishers in each event at the conference meet earn All-WIAC distinction. At last year's meet, Maddox Lee (Jr., Hugo, Minn.) and Marley Michaud (Sr., Sartell, Minn.) earned All-Conference honors in the all-around competition, with Lee taking fifth with a 37.125, ahead of Michaud's 36.350 for sixth. Head Coach Aryn DeGrood '09 was named the WIAC Co-Coach of the Year last season, as well as the NCAA Regional Coach of the Year. 

VAULTING THROUGH THE RECORD BOOKS

Vault has consistently been the Gusties' best event as a team this season, averaging a 47.411 through nine competitions. The team has four times broken the program team score record this season, first a 47.650 against UW-Oshkosh (Jan. 10), followed immediately by a 47.700 at the Rhode Island Triangular the next weekend. Lili Guy's (Sr., Glendale Heights, Ill.) individual program record in the event brought the team to a 47.750 against Hamline on Feb. 24, followed by a 47.800 the next Sunday in the team's historical meet at Simpson on Feb. 23.

Guy has posted the top four scores on vault this season, and seven of the top eight, tying the individual record and breaking it with a 9.775 against Hamline. The senior is enjoying her best season in her final one, winning a number of event titles, as well as Athlete of the Week honors for the first time in her career. On vault, Guy is averaging a 9.653 this year, having scored a 9.700 or above four times, including three in a row in her last three meets. Her 9.653 average ranks sixth in the region, while her 9.775 is the sixth-best score in DIII gymnastics this season. 

SETTING THE BAR

The Gusties have averaged a 44.383 on bars this season, posting a season-high of 45.925 at Simpson on Feb. 23. The team has seen steady improvement in the event throughout the year, posting its previous season-high of 45.725 at Mitchell Hall – the site for this year's championship meet. 

Individually, Lee owns the top four uneven bars scores, two of which are a 9.550 (UW-La Crosse and Simpson), just shy of her 9.575 career-high score. Lee has scored a 9.500 or better four different times this season on bars. Cara Wong (Fy., Sacramento, Calif.) and Guy are next for the Gusties, each with a 9.300 in the event this season. 

BEAMING WITH PRIDE

In addition to the vault program record, the Gusties also set the beam team record, posting a 48.300 against Simpson on their way to their first ever team score above a 190. The previous record was 48.050. The team has averaged a 45.956 through nine events this season, eclipsing the 48.000 mark once and a 46.000 four times.

Lee owns the top beam mark of the season with a 9.775 achieved at Simpson, tying her own program record in the event. Olivia Jahnke (Sr., Hanover, Minn.) is next, with a 9.725 (Simpson) and a 9.700 (UW-Oshkosh) to her name. Michaud also posted a 9.700 against Simpson. Six different Gusties have scored a 9.500 or above in the event this season, with first-years Kate Clairmont (Grand Rapids) and Wong each owning a score in the top-10 for the team.  

FLOORING THE COMPETITION

Gustavus has averaged a 47.674 on floor this season, scoring above a 47.000 in all nine meets this year, in addition to a pair of scores above 48.000 (48.100 vs. Hamline, 48.250 at Simpson). Six Gusties posted a score of 9.400 or better against Simpson en route to the season-high team score.

Guy is also the top performer on floor this season, posting two scores of 9.775 (Simpson, UW-Stout) for a career-best total for the senior. She also owns a 9.750 as the third highest individual score for the Gusties, and a 9.700 for four of the top five this year. Jahnke (Rhode Island) and Lindsay Bangs (Sr., Owatonna, Minn.) (Simpson) each owns a 9.700 as well. 

ALL-AROUND

Three Gusties have competed in the all-around in different meets this season. Lee posted a 38.050 against UW-Oshkosh in her only all-around performance of the year, shy of her 38.300 career-best. Michaud has gathered five all-around scores this season, including a new career-high of 37.875 at Simpson via a 9.475 on vault, a 9.050 on bars, 8.700 on beam, and 9.650 on floor. She has twice scored above a 37.000 in the all-around competition, adding a 37.075 against Hamline, highlighted by her 9.625 on the floor exercise. Wong has been the most consistent all-arounder, with eight different scores in her first season. She has scored above a 37.000 in three of her meets this season, starting with a 37.100 at Winona State. Her career-best 37.775 came against Hamline, and she added a 37.750 in the team's victory over Simpson. 

SOUNDS LIKE A BROKEN RECORD

The Gustavus gymnastics team put on its best performance of the year, and in program history, in a memorable and record-shattering victory over Simpson on Sunday, Feb. 23. 

All four event totals were season-highs for the Gusties, who also broke the program records for team scores on vault and beam. The vault record, now 47.800, marked the fourth time this season the Gusties bettered their total in the event. The beam record, now set at 48.300, bettered the previous 48.050 program record, and was the final event to lead Gustavus to its first 190 as a team. The 190.275 total is also a new program record, bettering the previous by over 1.5 points. DeGrood's Gusties set season-highs on bars (45.925) and floor (48.250), as well.

WEEKLY AWARDS

Both Guy and Lee have earned WIAC Athlete of the Week honors this season. Lee was awarded the All-Around Athlete of the Week award on Jan. 14 following her 38.050 against reigning national champion UW-Oshkosh. Her season-high 38.050 is the fifth-highest all-around total in program history and it featured a 9.450 on vault, a 9.525 on uneven bars, a 9.550 on balance beam, and a 9.575 on floor exercise. 

Guy, meanwhile, was named the Specialist of the Week on Feb. 18. The senior had a career weekend in the Gusties' dual victory over Hamline, breaking the individual program vault record and helping the team set the top program score in the event for the third time. Guy's 9.775 led to a team score of 47.750, bettering the 47.00 set on Jan. 18. Guy also led the Gusties on the uneven bars and on floor. She finished second on bars with a 9.275, while her 9.700 on floor was good for first overall.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

The meet begins at approximately 12:13 p.m. with the march-in and national anthem. Competition will begin at 12:30 p.m. with the afternoon session featuring the Gusties, UW-Eau Claire, Simpson, Hamline, and Winona State. Gustavus will begin its rotation on the beam, followed by the floor exercise, vault, and bars. The evening session features UW-Witewater, UW-Stout, host La Crosse, and the reigning WIAC and NCGA champions UW-Oshkosh beginning at 6 p.m. 

From 3 to 3:30 p.m., the WIAC will present the All-Sportsmanship Team, Scholar-Athlete Award, Athletes of the Week, and Athletes of the Year awards in the competition gym. Event medals and team champions will be honored following the evening session at 8 p.m.