Girls gymnastics roundup: NLS puts up a season-best score

NEW LONDON — Ciera Anderson and Abby Knudsen helped the New London-Spicer gymnastics team to a commanding victory over Annandale on Thursday.

The Wildcats, who rank No. 6 in Class A, scored a season-best 140.425 points to Annandale’s 128.200 in the Wright County Conference dual.

“That is nice to see that we are starting to peak. We tried some new skills tonight which were fun to see; some went well and some needed a little work,” NLS head coach Cindy Jacobson said. “But we have a nice break for a week now until our next meet in Litchfield, so hopefully we can polish them up and perform them better.

“We did well on vault and floor tonight. Our other events are getting better, but we are still leaving points out there to hopefully raise our score.”

Anderson took first place in the all-around competition, scoring 36.575. She took home all the event titles except beam.

Anderson, a junior, scored 9.400 on the floor, 9.375 on the vault and 8.900s on the uneven parallel bars and the balance beam.

Prep

PHOTOS: NLS vs. Annandale, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023

Wildcats earn their season-best team score in a dominating fashion

February 02, 2023 11:56 PM

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By  Michael Lyne

Michael Lyne / West Central Tribune

“Ciera had a really good night,” Jacobson said.

Knudsen followed Anderson taking second place in the all-around at 36.050. Her highest scoring routine came on the floor at 9.250 and her highest placing routine was the balance beam, as she placed first with a score of 9.200.

Behind Anderson and Knudsen, Wildcats sophomore Kaitlyn Preheim took third place in the all-around at 33.975. Her best routine came on the floor, where she scored 9.175 to finish third.

“Excited to see what we can get next week,” Jacobson said. “Still waiting for all the girls to hit all of their routines on the same night.”

NLS competes against Litchfield at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Litchfield National Guard Armory.

Michael Lyne / West Central Tribune

ALL-AROUND — (1) Ciera Anderson, NLS, 36.575 … (2) Abby Knudsen, NLS, 36.050 … (3) Kaitlyn Preheim, NLS, 33.975
VAULT — (1) Anderson, NLS, 9.375 … (2) Knudsen, NLS, 9.050 … (3) Maddie Brey, NLS, 8.950
BARS — (1) Anderson, NLS, 8.900 … (2) Knudsen, NLS, 8.550 … (3) Preheim, NLS, 8.100 … (3) Kaisa Williams, NLS, 8.100
BEAM — (1) Knudsen, NLS, 9.200 … (2) Anderson, NLS, 8.900 … (3) Kate Lamb, A, 8.600
FLOOR — (1) Anderson, NLS, 9.400 … (2) Knudsen, NLS, 9.250 …  (3) Preheim, NLS, 9.175

Maria Hinnenkamp helped Melrose dominate Willmar in its final home meet of the season at Willmar.

Hinnenkamp won the all-around competition, scoring 34.950. Her highest scoring and placing routine came on the floor at 9.050.

The Cardinals’ top performer was senior Kim Joneson. She placed second in the all-around, tallying 33.925.

One of Joneson’s routines was good for a top-3 finish. She took second on the balance beam with a score of 9.100.

Willmar had two other gymnasts see top-3 finishes. Freshman Mallory Beier took first on the vault (8.750) and freshman Carlee Brown placed third on the balance beam (8.800).

The Cardinals compete in the Central Lakes Conference championship at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at Brainerd.

ALL-AROUND — (1) Maria Hinnenkamp, M, 34.950 … (2) Kim Joneson, W, 33.925 … (3) Hannah Hoppe, M, 33.725
VAULT — (1) Mallory Beier, W, 8.750 … (2) Gabby Schoenberg, M, 8.700 … (3) Hinnenkamp, M, 8.650
BARS — (1) Courtney Althaus, M, 9.250 … (2) Hinnenkamp, M, 8.700 … (3) Schoenberg, M, 8.575
BEAM — (1) Hoppe, M, 9.300 … (2) Joneson, W, 9.100 … (3) Carlee Brown, W, 8.800
FLOOR — (1) Hinnenkamp, M, 9.050 … (1) Hoppe, M, 9.050 … (3) Josie Eveslage, M, 8.875

Liv Holmgren compiled an all-around score of 35.525, taking first in the vault (9.100), bars (8.500) and beam (9.025) in the Wright County Conference dual at Litchfield.

Litchfield’s Raina Kaping took first on the floor with a 9.000.

ALL-AROUND — (1) Liv Holmgren, L, 35.525 … (2) Raina Kaping, L, 34.500 … (3) Lillia Chvatal, L, 32.000
VAULT — (1) Holmgren, L, 9.100 … (2) Kaping, L, 8.800 … (3) Olivia Peterson, R, 8.600
BARS — (1) Holmgren, L, 8.500 … (2) Kaping, L, 8.175 … (3) Chvatal, L, 7.900
BEAM — (1) Holmgren, L, 9.025 … (2) Kaping, L, 8.525 … (3) Frannie Wachholz, R, 8.000
FLOOR — (1) Kaping, L, 9.000 … (2) Holmgren, L, 8.900 … (3) Charley Estrada, L, 8.450

Libby McGeary won the all-around in 36.650 in Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg’s victory over Maple Lake at Benson.

Benson ranks No. 12 in Class A with an average team score of 136.733.

McGeary won the vault (9.350), bars (9.050) and floor (9.350). Benson/KMS’ Sophie Hilleren took first on the beam with a 9.000.

ALL-AROUND — (1) Libby McGeary, B/KMS, 36.650 … (2) Gwen Wilcox, B/KMS, 33.700 … (3) Kelsi Jude, ML, 32.500
VAULT — (1) McGeary, B/KMS, 9.350 … (2) Sophie Hilleren, B/KMs, 8.700 … (3) Lexi Hoberg, 8.650 
BARS — (1) McGeary, B/KMS, 9.050 … (2) Elise Duncan, B/KMS, 8.150 … (3) Wilcox, B/KMS, 8.100
BEAM — (1) Hilleren, B/KMS, 9.000 … (2) McGeary, B/KMS, 8.900 … (3) Duncan, B/KMS, 8.200
FLOOR — (1) McGeary, B/KMS, 9.350 … (2) Wilcox, B/KMS, 9.100 … (3) Jude, ML, 8.850