RHS gymnasts edge Mosinee, get back to .500 in GNC

The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team needed one of its strongest performances of the season on Tuesday to fend of Mosinee in GNC Small competition.

The Hodags turned in their second-highest score of the year, a 111.025, to edge Mosinee by just under five points in a dual meet at the YMCA of the Northwoods. 

The score was roughly six-tenths off the Hodags’ best of the year — set in a triangular in Ashland Jan. 4. 

Vault and even bars were particularly strong for the Hodags on Tuesday, with scores at or near season bests.

“We’ve been working a lot on our connections on bars and we were able to see a lot of those connections tonight, which was great,” Hodag coach Kristina Aschenbrenner said. “Vault continues to be consistently strong. We’re right where should be on vault. Those two events were good.”

Rhinelander did not pick up any individual victories on the night, but its depth was enough to push past Mosinee. Vault was the highlight for the team as freshman Alexis Smith took the runner-up spot with an 8.55 and fellow freshman Karly Gillingham finished third with an 8.35. 

“They’re both throwing half-halfs and a well-done half-half can place in the top five,” coach Aschenbrenner said. “We saw that last weekend with Alexis placing in the top five in the last invite. We hope to continue with those vaults and have the other gals work to start increasing their vaults as well.”

    Rhinelander’s Karly Gillingham performs her floor exercise routine during a GNC Small dual meet against Mosinee at the YMCA of the Northwoods Tuesday, Feb. 6. Gillingham placed second in the event and second in the individual all-around as the Hodags won the meet 111.025-106.25. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Gillingham was strong in most of the events as she scored a 28.95 in the all-around, edging Mosinee’s Anna Wood by 0.05 points for the runner-up spot. Wendy Fronk scored a runner-up finish on balance beam (7.7) and placed fourth in the all-around (27.65). Samantha Aschenbrenner was third on the beam (7.55) and fifth in the all-around (27.15). Smith placed sixth in the all-around (26.975).

Gillingham and Fronk took second and third on the floor exercise and Gillingham added a third-place finish on uneven bars. 

Mosinee’s Jaiden Reed won three of the four events and took the all-around on Tuesday (31.1).

Rhinelander may have had a shot at a season-high overall score, but a few too many falls on the beam and a lower-than-normal night on floor hindered that effort.

“Beam, you know, falls again. Wendy had a no-fall beam routine. That was great, but falls were hurting us there,” coach Aschenbrenner said. “Floor, we tried some new skills tonight and, unfortunately, we didn’t come through on those, but this was a good meet to try to throw them and get some practice so that when we go to the Valentine meet in Ashland on Saturday, hopefully we can throw them again.”

The Hodags improved to 2-2 in the GNC Small with the win and will be third in the Small Division standings heading into next Saturday’s conference meet in Rhinelander. 

Rhinelander’s depth has been tested a bit with Lena Timphus, Arieanna Crossman and Emma Tagalos all battling injury. That leaves the team with only five gymnasts able to compete on Tuesday. Coach Aschenbrenner said staying healthy will be the key for the Hodags to have a strong finish to the season.

“The goal for those girls competing is to stay healthy and to start incorporating the skills we’ve working on into routines, like we did today on floor,” she said. “We might not have hit it tonight but hopefully the next time, and just keep trying to make those little improvements that will help.”

Rhinelander travels to Ashland on Saturday for the Valentine’s Invite, the final tune-up prior to the GNC meet.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].