Gymnastics Preview: 2018 Season Opens Tuesday at Winona

at Winona State: Live Video | 2018 Season Preview

THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION: The Blue Devils will open the 2018 season when they hit the road for a pair of meets, starting with a mid-week trip to Winona State University, Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 6:30 p.m., followed by a weekend trip in the opposite directions when they compete at UW-Oshkosh, Friday, Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. Stout opens the home season when they host UW-Eau Claire, Friday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m.

A LOOK AT THE BLUE DEVILS

• UW-Stout broke three team records in their final dual meet of the season, then placed third at the WIAC Championship/NCGA West Regional Championship to advance to the NCGA Championship, a meet Stout hosted. The team went on to place fifth at the NCGA Championship in Menomonie, the program's highest finish since 1984. The Blue Devils would like to keep that success string alive.
• Youth will be served this year. With no seniors and only three juniors, the Blue Devils will be leaning heavily on youth this season. But the seven-member sophomore class is a battle-tested group, as are the three juniors who have been part of two nationally qualifying teams. Those two qualifying teams included last year's fifth place NCGA  Championship finish, which was held in Menomonie. The fifth place was Stout's best finish at the NCGA since 1984, but the team was less than a half-point out of third place.
• Sophomore Mikala Bugge earned All-American honors with a 12th place finish on the vault. MacKenzie Nicholson qualified individually to the NCGA Championship in the uneven bars. Earlier in the season, Nicholson set the school record on the bars with a 9.775.
• 2017 Blue Devil Statistics

You can find a compete ranking of Division I-III teams at roadtonationals.com


LAST TIME OUT:

• UW-Stout finished fifth at the NCGA Championship last spring in Menomonie, matching the best-ever finish at the national meet.
• Senior Kaylee Jondahl earned her final All-America honors and freshman Mikala Bugge (Oakdale, Minn) earned her first of what is hoped to be many as the Blue Devils wrapped up the season as the host of the 2017 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship Saturday at Johnson Fieldhouse.
• Jondahl, one night after earning All-America honors in the all-around, grabbed two more national honors by finishing third on the vault with a score of 9.65 and a 10th place finish with a 9.625 on the floor exercise. Jondahl concludes her Blue Devil career with eight total All-America Awards.
• Bugge earned second team All-America honors with a 12th place finish on the vault. Bugge also competed on the floor, finishing with a score of 9.50 for a 17th place finish.
• Senior Kelly Huseman wrapped up her career and just missed All-America honors by placing 13th on the vault with a 9.50. Huseman earned the NCGA in Academics All-America award. The All-American in Academics Award is presented to each gymnast who maintains a 3.0 overall grade point average (GPA) and who name appears on the team's NCGA squad list for the current year. Each nominee must qualify as a senior student academically and be in her last year of athletic eligibility.
• Freshman MacKenzie Nicholson also qualified to the individual meet, finishing 20th in the uneven bars with an 8.975.
• At the team competition, UW-Stout had their best finish at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championship in more than 30 years as the Blue Devils placed fifth at Johnson Fieldhouse Friday. The Blue Devils scored 186.475 points.
• For the Blue Devils, it was their seventh trip to the national meet. The Blue Devils finished sixth in 2015, seventh in 2011, seventh in 2001, seventh in 1986, sixth in 1985 and fourth in 1984.
• In the all-around competition, Kaylee Jondahl finished fourth, her best all-around finish at the national meet. Jondahl tied for first in the floor exercise, scoring a 9.70.

BLUE DEVIL LEADERSHIP TEAM: Kenzie Hyde, Rachel Hasting, Brooke Terry

CAREER BESTS: Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to check out each Blue Devil's collegiate best score in each of their events.


A LOOK AT WINONA STATE

• The Warriors return 2017 NCGA floor exercise champion Eboni Jackson. Jackson also earned second team All-America honors in the all-around. Katie Pipp competed at last year's NCGA Championship, placing 16th on the uneven bars. She did earn All-American honors on the bars in 2015 and 2016. Sophomore Kelly Johnston earned second team All-America honors last season with a ninth place finish on the balance beam. Winona State finished fourth at the WIAC/West Regional Championship last spring.

A LOOK AT UW-OSHKOSH

• UW-Oshkosh 11th-year head coach Lauren Karnitz returns 12 letter winners from last year's squad that finished sixth at the WIAC Championship/NCGA West Regional.
• Leading the UW-Oshkosh returnees is sophomore Baylee Tkaczuk, the defending NCGA champion on the uneven bars and reigning WIAC winner on the balance beam. Tkaczuk won the national uneven bars competition with a score of 9.775 after securing the league championship on the balance beam with a score of 9.675.
• Also back for the Titans are Jessica Bernardo and Dana LoCascio, who both earned NCGA All-America honors for the first time last season. Bernardo placed second in the all-around competition with a season-best score of 37.575 at the national meet while LoCascio finished fifth on the balance beam with a score of 9.475.
• The Titans finished sixth at the WIAC Championship/NCGA West Regional Meet. Baylee Tkaczuk won the balance beam title.

UW-STOUT COACH BECKY BEAULIEU:

• Becky Beaulieu is in her 13th season as the Blue Devil coach.
• Under Beaulieu's direction, UW-Stout gymnasts have earned 43 All-American awards and Beaulieu has coached national champions on the balance beam in 2008, the floor exercise in 2009, the uneven bars in 2010, the vault and floor exercise in 2011, and the floor in 2015.
• A UW-Stout gymnast has qualified and competed at the NCAA Division I regionals in 2009 at the University of Iowa and in 2010 at the University of Utah.
• Beaulieu, competing as Becky McDonnell at UW-La Crosse from 1997-2001, captured back-to-back NCGA floor exercise titles in 1998 and 1999. She established a since-eclipsed school floor exercise record score of 9.8. A seven-time NCGA All-American, she also garnered all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors nine times. The Eagles, for which she was a two-year captain, won two NCGA titles during her competing days.
• In 2012, Beaulieau was selected to the WIAC All-Time Gymnastics Team as the conference celebrated their 100th anniversary.
• Beaulieu was inducted into the UW-La Crosse Wall of Fame in 2016.

WIAC AND NCGA: The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) is made up of eight schools - UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stout, UW-Whitewater, Hamline University, Gustavus Adolphus College and Winona State University. These eight schools make up the NCGA West Region and are also members of the 14-school National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA). The six East schools are: SUNY-Brockport, SUNY-Cortland, Ithaca (NY) College, Springfield (Mass) College, Rhode Island College, and Ursinus (Pa) College. Each region holds their own regional meet to determine which teams and individuals will advance to the NCGA Championship. The championship is alternated yearly between the East and the West, with the West hosting the event generally during the odd years.

DOWN THE ROAD: The Blue Devils open the home season by hosting UW-Eau Claire, Friday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. The Blue Devils stay home the following week, hosting Gustavus Adolphus College, Friday, Jan. 26.

2018 UW-Stout Team Scores & Schedule
Jan. 9 at Winona State, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 12 at UW-Oshkosh, 6 p.m.
Jan. 19 host UW-Eau Claire, 6 p.m.
Jan. 26 host Gustavus Adolphus College, 6 p.m
Feb. 2 at Hamline University, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 9 at Harley Davidson Invite (UW-Whitewater), 7 p.m.
Feb. 16 host UW-La Crosse, 6 p.m.
Feb. 23 at Iowa State, 6:30 p.m.
March 3 - at WIAC Championship/West Region at St. Peter, Minn., 4 p.m.
March 23 - at NCGA Team Championship, at Springfield, Mass, TBA
March 24 - at NCGA Individual Championship, at Springfield, Mass, TBA


UW-STOUT COLLEGIATE VARSITY HIGHS: (updated Dec. 19, 2017)

Sierra Beaver
Vault: 9.450 - Jan. 13, 2017
Uneven Bars: 9.500 - Feb. 10, 2017
Balance Beam: 9.500 - Jan. 20, 2017
Floor Exercise: 9.600- Jan. 23, 2017
All-Around: 37.575 - Jan. 23, 2017

Shadae Boone
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: x
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

Mikala Bugge
Vault: 9.675 - Jan. 13, 2017
Uneven Bars: 8.900, Jan. 23, 2017
Balance Beam: 9.050 - Feb. 24, 2017
Floor Exercise: 9.700 - March 9, 2017; Jan. 23, 2017
All-Around: x

Sierra Coonts
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: x
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

Mallary Dick
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: 9.150 - Feb. 24, 2017
Balance Beam: 8.350 - Feb. 24, 2017
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

Cassie Ehmann
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: x
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

Chelsea Gray
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: x
Balance Beam: 9.425 - Jan. 8, 2016
Floor Exercise: 8.900 - Feb 24, 2017
All-Around: x

Rachel Hasting
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: 8.950 - March 4, 2016
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

Megan Hoffman
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: x
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

Kenzie Hyde
Vault: 9.650 - March 27, 2015; March 6, 2015; Jan. 16, 2015
Uneven Bars: 9.675 - March 27, 2015; March 15, 2015
Balance Beam: 9.725 - March 9, 2017
Floor Exercise: 9.400 - March 15, 2015; March 6, 2015
All-Around: 38.000 - March 15, 2015

Belle Ihde
Vault: 9.550 - Jan. 23, 2017
Uneven Bars: 9.225, Feb. 10, 2017
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: 9.625 - March 17, 2017
All-Around: x

Maddy Lord
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: x
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

Maddie Mullenbach
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: x
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

MacKenzie Nicholson
Vault: 9.425 - March 9, 2017; Jan. 23, 2017
Uneven Bars: 9.775* - March 9, 2017
Balance Beam: 9.375 - March 9, 2017
Floor Exercise: 9.425 - Jan. 23, 2017
All-Around: 37.775 - Jan. 23, 2017

Shaquilla Payne
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: x
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

Olivia Rosenow
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: x
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

Emma Sirjord
Vault: x
Uneven Bars: x
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: x
All-Around: x

Saga Svantesson
Vault: x
Balance Beam: x
Floor Exercise: 8.050 - March 3, 2017
All-Around: x

Brooke Terry
Vault: 9.525 - March 9, 2017
Balance Beam: 9.650 - March 3, 2017
Floor Exercise: 9.350 - March 3, 2017; Feb. 3, 2017
All-Around: x


2017 BLUE DEVIL INDIVIDUAL SEASON HIGHS
Vault: 9.700 - Kaylee Jondahl vs. Alaska-Anchorage, Jan. 20, 2017
Uneven Bars: 9.775* - MacKenzie Nicholson vs. UW-Oshkosh, March 9, 2017
Balance Beam: 9.635 - Kenzie Hyde vs. Alaska-Anchorage, Jan. 23, 2017
Floor Exercise: 9.750 - Kaylee Jondahl vs. Alaska-Anchorage, Jan. 23, 2017; Kaylee Jondahl vs. UW-Whitewater, Jan. 13, 2017
All-Around: 37.775 - MacKenzie Nicholson vs. Alaska-Anchorage, Jan. 23, 2017
Team: 189.350* - vs. UW-Oshkosh, March 9, 2017

BLUE DEVIL INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Vault: 9.800 - Kaylee Jondahl, 2016
Uneven Bars: 9.775 - MacKenzie Nicholson, 2017
Balance Beam: 9.850 - Naomi De Lara, 2011
Floor Exercise: 9.900 - Kaylee Jondahl, 2016
All-Around: 38.550 - Katherine Prouty, 2014

BLUE DEVIL TEAM RECORDS
Vault: 48.000 - Feb. 5, 2016
Uneven Bars: 47.400 - Feb. 23, 2014
Balance Beam: 47.300 - March 9, 2017
Floor Exercise: 48.150 - March 9, 2013
Team Score: 189.350 - March 9, 2017