BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS: Gymnastics Team Takes State Title

The Whitefish Bay gymnastics team was behind on points and a repeat state title looked unlikely when senior Maggie Anderson found herself unable to vault.

During her practice runs, Anderson, the team's top gymnast, would make it halfway down the runway and then stop without ever reaching the vault. But, with a pep talk from coach Mary Liniewski, Anderson stuck a 9.2 to deliver the team's  at the WIAA state meet in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday.

The third title is just as sweet for Anderson, who is going on to UW-Stout in the fall, where she will continue with gymnastics. She said she couldn't be more proud of her teammates.

"I'm really excited," she said. "I don't even think it has hit me yet."

The team won the Division II state meet with a score of 141.351, edging out second place River Falls (141.183) and third place Mount Horeb (140.15). The Blue Dukes won state in 2011 and 2009 and took second in 2010. 

The seniors' emotions were running high Saturday night, Liniewski said. The girls have a lot to be proud of over the last four years, with four sectional championships and three conference championships to their name, beyond the state titles.

The state title didn't come easy. They knew they were facing a challenge from the River Falls team, and team members came together by shining in their respective events. Senior Sofie Yang broke her foot earlier in the season, but returned for the conference, sectional and state meets, delivering the team's top scores in vaulting and balance beam to push the Dukes to victory.

"They are perfectionists," Liniewski said of her team. "Their greatness comes from being the best they can be always, and they won't settle for anything less."

Individual results

In the individual competition on Friday, Anderson finished second overall after Riley Claude of River Falls. 

Anderson and her teammates had , and Anderson qualified for all four events. She took first in vaulting, fifth in balance beam, third in uneven bars and 14th in floor exercise.

Anderson said she received a little extra boost in the vault from her "lucky leotard" originally worn by Cumberland School teacher Julie Kleist, who won vault and the all-around competition in 1999.

"I look up to her, she has helped me a ton through my career," she said. "And to wear it, knowing it had history, made me know she was right with me, and the leotard still had some magic to do 13 years later." 

Other top placers for Whitefish Bay included:

• Senior Kelly Danek took 16th overall, 19th in balance beam, 20th in floor exercise, 10th in uneven bars and 19th in vaulting.
• Sophomore Lucy Anzia took 19th overall, ninth in balance beam and 21st in uneven bars.
• Senior Tessa Hansen took 15th in vaulting.
• Senior Tory Patek took 21st in floor exercise and 11th in uneven bars.
• Senior Sofie Yang took 16th in balance beam and eighth in uneven bars.