February 11, 2019 at 1:41 p.m.
Gymnastics: Medford beats RHS, takes lead in GNC Small
Hodags take fifth in Ashland Invite
Gymnastics: Medford beats RHS, takes lead in GNC Small
The Raiders edged out Rhinelander 121.575-116.825 Friday night in a battle of the division's lone unbeaten teams at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium. The next day, both teams were in Ashland - the site of this weekend's GNC meet - and the Raiders edged the Hodags again in an eight-team invitational.
"Medford threw up some great scores and had some really good routines but, again, we made some really big mistakes," Rhinelander coach Heather Sturtevant said. "We'll just have to see if the girls and pull it all together. We'll do the best we can."
Senior Raven Sturtevant, in her final home meet, had one of her best all-around performances for Rhinelander on Friday. But that was not enough for the Hodags, with a short-handed lineup, to overcome Medford's freshman tandem of Makala Ulrich and Brooklyn Bilz.
The biggest difference in Friday night's dual was balance beam. Medford outpointed Rhinelander in that event 30.3-27.9, making up roughly half the final margin of victory. Aside from Raven Sturtevant, who turned on a no-fall score of 8.45 on the event, the Hodags struggled to stay on the beam.
"We could not stay on beam. That was a huge thing again," Heather Sturtevant said. "I want to say we had at least eight or nine falls. It was not our friend and we just couldn't do it."
Rhinelander was also without Bridget Koser and Karissa Lavender in the meet due to injury. Senior Harlie Zimmermann competed, despite battling illness for the last two weeks, according to coach Sturtevant.
Raven Sturtevant won the uneven bars (7.4) and floor exercise (8.2), was second on beam and third on vault (8.05) as she posted an all-around score of 32.1, which was 0.375 points behind Ulrich for the individual title. Ulrich won the beam (8.675) and vaulting (8.8) competitions.
Autumn Shafer tied for third for Rhinelander on the floor (7.75) and was fourth in the vault (8.0). Freshman Mallory Myers was fifth on balance beam (6.75) and Lilli Bishop tied for fifth on bars (6.775).
Both teams upped their scores a day later in Ashland. Medford was third in the event with a 124.725. Rhinelander was with at 119.275. The biggest difference for Rhinelander was on beam, as the Hodags improved 2.75 points on their team score from the night before.
"Of the four scores we took, we had one fall. We had a season-best on beam and the girls were just on fire," Heather Sturtevant said.
The one fall was by Raven Sturtevant who had a clean routine otherwise and still finished tied for fourth in the event with an 8.15. She added a third-place finish on uneven bars and finished ninth in the all-around with a 31.625.
"Raven got a personal best (on bars), which really as a senior who's had a pretty good gymnastics career year to year," Heather Sturtevant said. "It's hard to keep upping yourself, but she had an 8.15. It was an 8.05 that took her to state last year."
Myers, pressed into all-around duty with the Hodags short-handed, responded Saturday with a career-best score of 29.15 in the all-around. She finished 10th on the floor exercise (7.875) and was 12th on the beam (7.35)
"Mallory, every day has improved," Heather Sturtevant said. "She had a personal best on bars last night and then kicked up by more than five tenths today. She killed it, personal best, on beam and personal best on floor. That's so exciting to see as a freshman who's going to have to be filling in (next year) as an all-around. Losing Raven is going to be a big hole to fill and she's showing she can do it."
Emily Radke was ninth (7.7) and Amber Briggs was 11th (7.45) on beam Saturday. Shafer had Rhinelander's best finish on vault, in 16th with a 7.95.
Rhinelander added the Ashland invite to its schedule this year for good reason, to get acquainted with Ashland's equipment ahead of this Saturday's conference meet. Coach Sturtevant said it was beneficial to travel up there a week early.
"The floor kind of threw our girls off a little bit," she said. "Raven fell twice on floor. The spring was different. The top was different, but now that they've been on it and touched it, I know they're going to be fine next weekend. I'm not that concerned."
Medford and Rhinelander are currently tied atop the GNC Small with six points, however Medford still has a dual meet to make up against Lakeland. Presuming the Raiders defeat the last-place T-Birds, Medford will hold a two-point advantage over the Hodags heading into this Saturday's conference meet, meaning that Rhinelander will have to defeat Medford on Saturday if it wants to repeat as conference champion.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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