November 28, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.
Team preview: RHS Gymnastics
Hodags look to retain GNC small throne
Team preview: RHS Gymnastics
The Hodags have won two of the last three conference titles. It may have been three in a row if not for an injury-riddled 2016-17 season.
Most of last year's squad returns for the Hodags, who are preparing for their first meet of the season Saturday in Medford, and the expectations remain high.
"I would like to see us (as) back-to-back conference champs," coach Heather Sturtevant said. "It was amazing sending two to state last year. Hopefully we can send more, or maybe even go as a team. We'll see.
"I think we have an amazing team. We're small again, but I think we have a lot of talent and a lot of new blood coming in with a lot of talent."
The Hodags did take a hit at the top of their lineup with the graduation of their top all-arounder, Stephanie Kuester. She finished second in the GNC in the all-around last year and qualified for the WIAA Division 2 state meet on the floor exercise. Stephanie's twin sister, Makayla, also graduated along with Alyssa Mitchell.
Senior Raven Sturtevant leads the list of returning gymnasts. She was the GNC Small champ on the balance beam last year, finished third in the all-around at the conference meet and was a state qualifier on uneven bars.
"Raven, being one of our senior captains, is going to be an anchor for the team, be an all-around," said coach Sturtevant, Raven's mother.
Raven Sturtevant is one of three seniors on this year's squad, along with uneven bars specialist Harlie Zimmermann and Mikayla Evenstad, who will likely miss at least some time at the start of the season after injuring a knee this fall on the RHS volleyball team.
The team returns three sophomores from last year's squad - Lilli Bishop, Bridger Koser and Autumn Shafer - all of whom made an impact last season. Bishop finished sixth at conference on the floor exercise, Shafer was sixth on uneven bars and Koser would have been in the running on floor as well if not for an injury that cut short her season.
Additionally, the team is excited about the addition of four freshmen - Abby Belbot, Allie Golomb, Karissa Lavender and Mallory Myers - who coach Sturtevant said should factor into the mix right away.
"We have four freshmen and three of them are coming in with some skills," she said. "They were in that higher level coming from middle school. We have two that have already done optional routines. Everyone's been really working to tighten up skills as well as some new skills."
Juniors Amber Briggs and Emily Radke also return with previous varsity expereince.
Heading into the season, coach Sturtevant said balance beam will be a make-or-break event for the Hodags. The team's scores on the event have been OK - second best in the GNC Small at last year's conference meet and third-best at sectionals a year ago - but the team has struggled with consistency and staying on the beam.
This year, Sturtevant said the team is embracing the challenging apparatus.
"Beam has always seemed to be our weakness yet everybody seems to be wanting to do beam this year," she said. "One of my goals as a team, and the team is buying into it also, is we're going to become best friends with the beam. We want to be known as the team with the sticky feet. We're not falling off that beam."
Beyond that, Sturtevant said the emphasis this year will be quality over quantity in the team's routines. She said she'd rather have the girls perform more basic skills flawlessly than struggle with more difficult moves.
"We're going to try to up our expectations, but we don't want to do it to where we're giving away too many points because we're going too big and not doing it clean," she said. "We've been going back to basics, doing lots of drills to clean up old things, just to make them better."
If the Hodags can accomplish all of that another GNC Small title is a distinct possibility. Mosinee figures to be Rhinelander's top challenger for the crown as it returns all-around champ Lydia Ruthe and most of its starting lineup from last season.
The Hodags will get a good look at Mosinee, and the rest of the GNC Small, both this Saturday in Medford and the following Saturday as Rhinelander hosts the annual Snowflake Invitational at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
"That's going to be a nice benchmark for where all of us at the beginning of the season," Sturtevant said. "I know some teams have lost a lot of girls. So who's coming in? Are there some ringers coming in we don't know about? That will be a nice view."
The Hodags will open GNC Small competition against Chequamegon Dec. 11 at the Jim. It's one of five home meets for the team this season.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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