UW-Oshkosh will be sending five gymnasts to the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championships in Springfield, Mass. March 26 and 27.
The UW-Oshkosh women’s gymnastics team placed fifth with a total score of 179.675 at the 37th Annual Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship Sunday in St. Peter, Minn. on Sunday.
“Had we not had some uncharacteristic mishaps we would have scored higher, but that’s the nature of the sport,” Titans head coach Lauren Karnitz said.
Junior all-around specialist Stacie Jenkins said the team went into the meet confident and had the national meet in the backs of their minds.
“All we could do was our best, what we do in practice and we would be happy with what happened,” Jenkins said. “Of course, we were all upset not making it to nationals, but this year has been full of accomplishments.”
Although the team did not earn a top-three finish like they had aimed for at the WIAC Championship, they will however be sending five gymnasts to the NCGA Championships.
Seniors Darlene Herrmann and Gretchen Fackelman, junior Jenkins, sophomores Jill Lindberg and Mary Ann Oehlerking will be the five Oshkosh gymnasts competing at the national championships.
Hermann placed fourth on the uneven bars with a score of 9.125. She also received All-Conference and All-Region recognition.
Fackelman scored a 9.25 on beam and was also named to the conference’s All-Sportsmanship team. Lindberg scored a 9.3 on beam.
“The meet went amazing for me,” Lindberg said. “I stayed solid on the balance beam and received a 9.30. I believe I placed 13th out of 48 on the beam.”
Jenkins, who achieved a score of 9.575 on floor, also received All-Conference and All-Region recognition. She competed at nationals her freshman and sophomore years, making this her third consecutive appearance at the national championships.
Oehlerking, who broke her elbow in December, scored a 9.05 on the uneven bars on Sunday.
Junior Paula Delsart, who was also coming off a significant late-2009 injury, may also qualify for nationals. Delsart fractured both of her knees in November and came back in February to compete.
Delsart scored a 9.25 on beam in St. Peter.
“Paula’s beam routine was phenomenal, just great,” Karnitz said. “Hadn’t she been injured, it would be more cut-and-dry whether she qualifies for nationals. She just did not have enough meets to make it a cut and dry decision.”
Next season the women’s gymnastics team will only lose three of their 15 athletes.
“I am really looking forward to next year,” Karnitz said. “We should have a phenomenal team with the recruits coming in and the girls who will be returning from injuries. Our talent keeps going up and we are putting in more difficult skills. We are going to learn hard skills, then stick it.”
The WIAC Championship meet ended the season for the team with exception of the five, possibly six, going to nationals.
The NCGA Championship will be held in Springfield, Mass. on March 26-27 with action starting at 4:30 (ET).
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