Premier Gymnasts To Take Center Stage at Wisconsin (WIAA) State Championships

Prestigious two-day event at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School to feature highly anticipated opening-day D1 and D2 team competition, thrilling second-day individual event championships

Elkhorn gymnast Kaylee Frank competes on the uneven bars in a WIAA D1 Gymnastics Sectional at Elkhorn High School, Friday, February 28, 2025. / Scott Ash / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. - The 55th Wisconsin (WIAA) state high school gymnastics championships will be held at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln on March 7-8.
The Division 1 and 2 team competitions will begin Friday at noon. The state individual championships are scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m.

Ten schools in both D1 and D2 will compete for the respective team titles. The top two teams from each of five sectionals held throughout the state (in each division) qualified for the prestigious season-ending meet. The top five individuals in each event (vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise) and top five all-around advanced to the individual championships.

The battle for the D1 team title is led by the sectional champion Chippewa Falls/McDonnell Catholic co-op, who posted a state-high total of 146.95 points. The strong field also includes the first-place Verona/Edgewood Co-op team (144.275), the Oak Creek/Whitnall Co-op (143.550), Arrowhead (143.075), and Oshkosh West/North co-op (136.025).

Verona/Edgewood placed second in last year's D1 state competition and Oak Creek/Whitnall was third. Elkhorn, last year's D2 champion, moved up a division and is another worthy contender in the standout field.

Waunakee/DeForest sophomore Annika Lee, who placed fourth in the D1 all-around last year, headlines the list of experienced competitors returning to the state individual meet. The strong field also includes Chippewa Falls/McDonnell senior Ava Krista, Franklin/Muskego junior Grace Hibler, and Elkhorn senior Kaylee Frank.

In the D2 title race, the Dodgeville Co-op scored a state-best 139.225. Other sectional winners were Monona Grove (138.225), Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Cochrane-Fountain City/Melrose-Mindoro co-op (136.75), River Falls (136.30), and Waupun (133.00). Rice Lake senior Avery Ash, the defending D2 all-around champion, tops the list of athletes returning to the individual competition.

WISCONSIN (WIAA) STATE GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Where: Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

When: March 7-8

Qualifying teams in D1 (including total state appearances):

Arrowhead (18)

Chippewa Falls/McDonell Catholic (3)

Elkhorn  (11)

Hartford (8)

Mount Horeb (38)

Oak Creek/Whitnall (2)

Oshkosh West/North (2)

Stevens Point Area High School (24)

Verona/Edgewood (13)

West Salem/Aquinas/Bangor (7)

Qualifying teams in D2 (including total state appearances):

Dodgeville/Highland/Iowa-Grant/Mineral Point (2)

Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Cochrane-Fountain City/Melrose-Mindoro (8)

Marshfield (5), Monona Grove (6)

Rice Lake (4)

River Falls (33)

Sauk Prairie  (1)

Shorewood/University School of Milwaukee (1)

Waupun  (5)

West Bend East (2)

Top Division 1 Individual Contenders

All-around:

Waunakee/DeForest sophomore Annika Lee

Chippewa Falls/McDonell senior Ava Krista

Franklin/Muskego junior Grace Hibler

Elkhorn senior Kaylee Frank

Hartford senior Addison Friedl

Oshkosh West/North junior Neva Schlies

Verona/Edgewood junior Zoe Marckesano

Vault:

Waunakee/DeForest sophomore Annika Lee

Elkhorn senior Kaylee Frank

Oak Creek/Whitnall senior Erica Miner

Chippewa Falls/McDonnell senior Ella Spaeth

Arrowhead junior Payton Eicher

Nicolet junior Magdalena Rosas Sarmiento

Uneven Bars:

Chippewa Falls/McDonell senior Ava Krista

Elkhorn senior Kaylee Frank

Oak Creek/Whitnall senior Erica Miner

Franklin/Muskego junior Grace Hibler

Verona/Edgewood junior Zoe Marckesano

Arrowhead junior Journee Carter

Homestead junior Macy Diemer

Balance Beam:

Elkhorn senior Kaylee Frank

Oak Creek/Whitnall junior Ava Shotola

Waunakee/DeForest sophomore Annika Lee

Hartford senior Addison Friedl

Hudson senior Julia Bounting

Elkhorn senior Kate Krauklis

Oshkosh West/North junior Neva Schlies

Floor exercise:

Waunakee/DeForest sophomore Annika Lee

Oak Creek/Whitnall senior Erica Miner

Chippewa Falls/McDonell senior Ava Krista

Mount Horeb senior Athena Ouradnik

Holmen senior Katie Lange

Oconomowoc senior Bella Perez Emory

Verona sophomore Dominika Ziembaand,

Whitefish Bay junior Annika Leinweber

Top Division 2 Individual Contenders

All-Around:

Rice Lake senior Avery Ash

Westby senior Isabell Korn

Waupun senior Abby Roecker

Sparta junior Gabrielle Bjorkman

Sauk Prairie senior McKenna Breunig

Monona Grove sophomore Nola Benson

Vault:

Rice Lake senior Avery Ash

Waupun senior Abby Roecker

Sparta junior Gabrielle Bjorkman

River Valley senior Anya Seffrood,

Watertown senior Sammy Knight of Watertown

Uneven Bars:

Westby senior Isabell Korn

Waupun senior Abby Roecker

Sparta junior Gabrielle Bjorkman

Bloomer senior Celina Hess

Shorewood/University School of Milwaukee junior Gabi Ortiz Fleet

Dodgeville sophomore Madelyn Klein 

Balance Beam:

Rice Lake senior Avery Ash

Waupun senior Abby Roecker

Monona Grove sophomore Ella Tweedy

Westby senior Isabell Korn

Sparta junior Gabrielle Bjorkman

Sauk Prairie senior McKenna Breunig

Shorewood/University School of Milwaukee junior Gabi Ortiz Fleet

Floor Exercise:

Monona Grove EllaTweedy

Waupun senior Abby Roecker

Rice Lake senior Avery Ash

Westby senior Isabell Korn

Sauk Prairie senior McKenna Bruenig

Watertown senior Sammy Knight

River Falls freshman Ruby Amundson

West Bend East senior McKennah Orth

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-- Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com