February 28, 2022 at 8:19 a.m.
Hodag gymnasts go out on season high
Hodag gymnasts go out on season high
The Hodags posted a season-best score of 108.45 points at they placed sixth out of seven teams in a WIAA Division 2 sectional in Antigo. The performance was 0.85 points better than the team's previous season high, posted six days earlier during the Great Northern Conference meet.
"That was my big goal, could we get that 108. I was so happy with that," coach Heather Sturtevant said.
Rhinelander was not in contention to place in the top two as a team to qualify for state, nor did the Hodags end up in the running for an individual top-five finishes that would have also made it to Wisconsin Rapids this coming Friday. But the team did have some highlights, including a season-best score of 31.375 on the floor exercise.
Senior Abby Belbot finished with a career high, placing 14th in the event with a score of 8.35. Freshman Sophie Miljevich was 16th at an 8.3.
"All four girls got a personal best on floor, which was just awesome," Sturtevant said. "Leta (Cole) improved many tenths and then when Claire (Wilberding), we saw that 7.925, we're like, 'Oh my gosh, it was almost an 8.' Then Abby with the 8.35 and Sophie with 8.3. It was just such a good way, to not quite end the night, because we did still had vault, but it was real nice to be rewarded. They've been working really hard on floor."
Miljevich led the Hodags in the all-around, posting a season-high score of 29.875 points. She was Rhinelander's top finisher on uneven bars (15th, 7.275) and vault (21st, 8.0).
"Sophie's still knocking on that 30 (point total in the all-around), but she is just a freshman," Sturtevant said. "She's been real solid in the 29s. I think that's something that's going to be very achievable for her next year, easily be able to get that all the time."
In addition to leading the Hodags on floor, Belbot was also Rhinelander's top finishers on balance beam (14th, 7.45). The senior finished 18th in the all-around, posting a career-high 28.1 in her final meet.
"You're improving over a point and that's pretty significant at the last meet, when you know you're being judged a little more critically at the end of the season," Sturtevant said. "So see some nice, big gains, is huge."
Wilberding was 22nd in the all-around (26.025) and Cole finished 25th (24.45). Sturtevant noted that three of Rhinelander's four gymnasts posted season-high all-around scores in the meet.
"Vault, pretty good performances, Sophie threw the 8, Abby almost did again. Claire, this was her second time doing that handspring vault and she improved her score. That was great," she said. "Bars were a little rough for us today, a couple of the girls. We just weren't quite getting our connections, but Abby did get a season best and a season-best on beam. We didn't have to take quite as many falls (on beam). That was nice too."
GNC Small champion Medford won the sectional title with a score of 134.925 points and will be joined by runner-up Antigo (132.525) at state. Medford's Kate Malchow took the individual all-around with a 35.275.
Rhinelander was third of the four teams in the GNC Small Division at the sectional. Mosinee, with top gymnast Avery Ahles back in the lineup, finished fifth. Lakeland was seventh.
The Hodags tied for second in the GNC Small with Mosinee, despite finishing the season with only four gymnasts.
"We can't throw up those big numbers because we just don't have the skills in our routines yet, but we do have some young girls," Sturtevant said. "We'll only have one senior again next year. Sophie's only a freshman, Claire's only a sophomore. We'll see who new comes in next year to kind of help continue to push each other to get those bigger skills, but I know they can. All we can do is just keep plugging like we are."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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