March 6, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
Seven RHS gymnasts earn academic all-state honors
Seven RHS gymnasts earn academic all-state honors
On Sunday, seven members of squad received awards from the Wisconsin High School Gymnastics Association as members of this year's academic all-state team.
Mallory Myers, Emily Radke, Autumn Shafer, Bridget Koser, Mikayla Evenstad, Lilli Bishop and Raven Sturtevant received academic all-state honors, which requires gymnasts to have a grade point average of 3.5 or above. The awards were announced at the WHSGA's banquet last Thursday ahead of the WIAA state meet in Wisconsin Rapids. The Hodag team members received the awards during their team banquet Sunday at the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom.
There were three levels to the academic all-state team. Myers and Radke were in the gold tier with GPAs of 4.0 or better; Bishop, Evenstad, Koser and Shafer were in the silver tier with GPAs between 3.8 and 3.99; Raven Sturtevant was in the bronze tier with a GPA between 3.5 to 3.79.
"To compete, to go to these meets, to practice 5-6 days a week - a lot of you have jobs to - to do all of those things and try to have a pretty high level (of performance), at least for us, and a good season, (but) the grades are more important," RHS gymnastics coach Heather Sturtevant said during Sunday's banquet. "It's nice that they actually recognized, as an organization, our grades."
Raven Sturtevant was also selected as one of five seniors state-wide to receive a $200 scholarship from the WHSGA.
The majority of the team awards handed out at Sunday's banquets were presented based on objective criteria.
Seven members of the team earned varsity letters, with a requirement that they compete in at least one varsity event in 70 percent of the team's competitions this season. Seniors Raven Sturtevant and Harlie Zimmermann earned their fourth varsity letters; junior Amber Briggs and sophomores Shafer, Bishop and Koser received their second varsity letters; freshman Mallory Myers lettered for the first time.
Freshmen, and upperclassmen competing in a certain event for the first time, received benchmark award ribbons recognizing their best score of the season in specific events. Myers and fellow freshman Abby Belbot established benchmarks in all four events, as well as the all-around; freshman Karissa Lavender established a benchmark on the balance beam; freshman Alli Golomb and junior Allysa Scheuermann established benchmarks in vaulting.
Gymnasts who had previously established benchmarks in an event were recognized if they exceeded that benchmark and set a new personal best this year. Eight gymnasts set personal bests, led by Shafer, who set new career marks in all four events as well as the individual all-around. Bishop and Koser set new marks in three events and the all-around. Raven Sturtevant set three personal records, Briggs had two personal bests. Zimmermann, Scheuermann and Radke each had one personal best.
"We had a season of personal bests, which was just amazing - especially those last couple meets," Heather Sturtevant said. "Usually you kind of peak early and then you just hope because they're judging hard at the end of the season. We were still knocking some routines out of the park. I'm so excited and so proud of you girls."
Many of those personal bests exceeded a score 8.0. Raven Sturtevant was honored as a member of the 8.0 club in all four events as well as a member of the 32.0 club as the only member of the team to score a 32 or better this year in the all-around. Shafer and Bishop joined the 8.0 club on vault and floor; Myers and Koser obtained 8s on the floor this year.
Rhinelander finished second in the GNC Small this season behind state qualifier Medford. The Hodags were fourth at WIAA sectionals this year. While the team had no state qualifiers, Raven Sturtevant was a state alternate on the floor exercise following a sixth-place finish in the event at sectionals Feb. 22 in Antigo.
"I personally think we had a phenomenal team this year," Heather Sturtevant said. "We've had phenomenal teams in past years in terms of skills and certain things, but I really thought we had an incredible cohesiveness this year and I want to continue to work on our the culture of our team where that continues and just continues to grow and builds from there."
Raven Sturtevant and Zimmermann were honored as this year's team captains. At the banquet, he two announced the captains for next year's team - Briggs, Shafer and Myers.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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