MENOMONIE (January 20, 2022) – To say the last couple of years have been strange due to the pandemic is an understatement. Lives have been disrupted and plans have been and are continuously changed with every ebb and flow.
As the UW-Stout gymnastics team members and coaching staff take a look back and, more importantly, take a look ahead, there is an excitement about the upcoming 2022 season.
"We are excited about this team and we are excited about 2022," Blue Devil coach
Becky Beaulieu said. "We have a season. Life is messy and beautiful; we feel ready to weather whatever storm comes our way and to do it together."
The 2020 and 2021 seasons were both disrupted – and 2022 started off with a disruption when the team's first meet was canceled. The response to the pandemic hit immediately after the 2020 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) meet and the national championship meet was canceled. The 2021 season was limited to four meets. The WIAC gymnastics championship was canceled and the NCGA Championship was canceled for the second straight year.
The Blue Devils return one senior–
Mikala Bugge (Oakdale, Minn) – and she is the only gymnast on the 2022 roster to have experienced a true collegiate season. The Blue Devils' four juniors saw both their collegiate seasons upended and the four sophomores experienced only last season's abbreviated season. The seven incoming freshmen are looking forward to competing collegiately for the first time.
Bugge begins her sixth season with the Blue Devils. She experienced a medical red-shirt season her sophomore year, missed part of the 2020 season and missed all of the 2021 abbreviated season due to injury. Bugge is taking advantage of the NCAA allowing those student-athletes affected by the pandemic to take an extra season.
And Bugge wants to wrap up her collegiate career on her own terms, Beaulieu said, although Bugge already has a solid career behind her. Bugge earned All-America honors on the vault during her freshman year in 2017, then finished second nationally in the all-around, seventh in the vault and eighth on the balance beam to pick up her second, third and fourth All-America honors. Bugge lays claim to four all conference medallions and was the WIAC floor champion in 2019.
"Mikala loves the sport and loves UW-Stout gymnastics," Beaulieu said. "She wants the chance to write her last chapter and wants to go another round."
While Bugge has competed in the all-around in the past – placing third in the all-around at the 2019 WIAC Championship – the senior from Oakdale, Minn., will concentrate on the vault and the uneven bars this year.
"We believe she can shine and do her thing on the vault and the uneven bars," Beaulieu said.
The coaching staff also believes Bugge can step out of her comfort zone and emulate some of the solid leadership she has seen on the past Blue Devil teams.
"We are looking for Mikala to roll up her sleeves (in leadership)." Beaulieu said. "She has been part of teams with awesome leaders. She has recently started to do that and is holding her team to a college finish after each routine."
The junior class consists of
Carlie Beatty (Lakeville, Minn),
Chloe Beatty (Lakeville, Minn),
Kailyn Westbrook (Plano, Texas) and
Jenna Jones (Elwood, Ind).
Carlie Beatty will compete on two to three events, said Beaulieu, but her strength is the balance beam where she earned all-conference honors as a freshman, placing third, and qualified to the NCGA Championship.
Beatty begins her third season as a member of the leadership team.
"We are looking for Carlie to continue to get excited, get others on board and show up in each of their lives," Beaulieu said.
Chloe Beatty is looking to return to competition after sitting out last season due to an injury.
A fierce competitor who has trained on vault, balance beam and floor exercise, "when the judge raises her hand (in a signal for competition to begin), Chloe takes life to a whole different level," Beaulieu said.
Beaulieu said the coaching staff has seen Westbrook grow over the last two years, and not just in the gym.
"We have seen Kailyn grow a great deal in the last year," Beaulieu said, "in academics and leadership, as well as in her exercises. In team leadership, she sees the big picture. Kailyn is a good vocal leader, a skill our team needs."
Westbrook has been working on a new tumbling series for the balance beam.
Jones has also shown a great deal of growth in all aspects of her life, Beaulieu said.
With perhaps the best fall season of her collegiate career, Jones has been working uneven bars and floor exercise, and should see varsity time on both events. Jones has yet to throw a varsity floor exercise, but that should change this year.
"We are waiting for her debut on the floor," Beaulieu said. "Jenna is looking at the glass half full, knowing that she can do the hard things. She earned a 4.0 in the fall semester, which shows her hard work has paid off."
Beaulieu sees the four members of the sophomore class as very committed. The class consists of
Kiara Brown (Whitewood, S.D.),
Genevieve Czaplewski (Grand Island, Neb.),
Jensen DeJong (Oskaloosa, Iowa) and
Bridgette Allen (Simi Valley, Calif).
"This class is very hard working and committed," Beaulieu said. "We are looking for this group to grow and transition from Junior Olympic gymnastics, which is an individual sport, to NCAA gymnastics, which is primarily a team sport."
Brown saw action in all four meets last season and competed in the all-around in two meets. Brown is expected to see action in the all-around again this year and is consistently among the top six Blue Devils in all four events.
Brown has shown improvement on each of the four exercises, said Beaulieu. The coach said Brown has a new vault, has upgraded her bars routine, has been more consistent on the balance beam and has some new tumbling routines on the floor exercise.
The recipient of last year's team "Spunk Award," Brown brings energy and a solid work ethic to the gym.
"We can feel her absence when she is not in the gym," Beaulieu said.
Czaplewski joined the leadership team this year and brings a consistent drive and work ethic to the gym, Beaulieu said.
"Genevieve raises the bar of our team and it is fun to see her grow and speak up," Beaulieu said. "She is a young leader and we are finding ways for her to connect to her teammates."
Czaplewski will train on the balance beam, floor exercise and uneven bars. She topped the field in the balance beam at the team's intrasquad meet in December.
"She is a very confident, predictable competitor and what coach wouldn't like that?" Beaulieu said.
"Jensen (DeJong) came in as a freshman just trying to figure out competing in college athletics," Beaulieu said. "But she figured it out last year."
DeJong is expected to compete on the vault and the floor exercise.
Allen is coming off a strong preseason – Beaulieu called it "awesome" – and has continued to be strong on the balance beam and has grown on the uneven bars, adding a couple of new skills to her performance.
"We believe in Bridgette," Beaulieu said. "Self-talk and year-round consistent training can help get her where she wants to go."
The team's largest class, seven strong freshmen, have been elevating competition in the entire gym.
"We believe these seven are one of the top two recruiting classes we have had," Beaulieu said. "Along with the sophomore class, some of them will be embracing new roles. How can we all move forward together?"
The freshman class consists of
Gillian Cummins (Farmington, Mo),
Isabela Krulich (Rosemount, Minn),
Gabrielle Winstead (Kennewick, Wash),
Effie Ferguson (Mississauga, Ont),
Abi Rose (South Jordan, Utah),
Emma Brittingham (Orlando, Fla) and
Alia Wilson (Prince George, British Columbia).
The coaching staff expects to see several freshmen compete in the all-around.
Cummins, Krulich, and Winstead have each been training all four events.
Cummins "brings a ton of raw talent," Beaulieu said. "Gillian will benefit from cleaning up some details and paying attention to technique. She was hesitant at first, but is now seeing the benefits."
Krulich has been installing some D and E Level tumbling passes in her floor routine, Beaulieu said, and has been strong in the vault.
Winstead is a Level 10 national competitor and is rapidly improving form as she works with the coaching staff.
"Gabby is one of those athletes where a coach can give her correction and she can do it on the next turn," Beaulieu said.
"We see greatness in Abi," Beaulieu said. "Floor is her strength but will compete in two to three events. She seems almost unaware how talented she is. We want her to believe in herself and find that grit."
Brittingham is a member of the leadership team as a freshman and is very team oriented, Beaulieu said.
"Emma's compass is pointing in the right direction," Beaulieu said. "She is young and inspiring, but we are looking for her to find her voice."
Brittingham is talented enough to compete in the all-around but is concentrating on the uneven bars and the vault and staying healthy.
"We are looking for Emma to lead her class, just as we are Genevieve to lead her sophomore class," Beaulieu said.
Ferguson and Wilson both hail from Canada.
Ferguson is working very hard at the balance beam, floor exercise and the uneven bars.
"Effie communicates best through her dance," Beaulieu said. "She brought me to tears of joy the first time I watched her floor routine. We are challenging her to leave the joy in her gymnastics."
The first Stout gymnast from the province of British Columbia, Beaulieu said it was it was a journey for Wilson to join the Stout team. She was originally planning to join the sophomore class, but the pandemic closed the borders.
"Ali wanted so badly to compete in NCAA gymnastics," Beaulieu said. Wilson will compete on the uneven bars and the balance beam.
Coaching with Beaulieu this year will be
Kj Wheeler, who returns for her fourth season, and Cassie Ehmann, a former gymnast who begins her first season as an assistant coach.
The Blue Devils are scheduled to open the season, Friday, Jan. 21 when they entertain UW-La Crosse at 6 p.m. The Blue Devils will be home Friday, Feb. 4 to host UW-Eau Claire for Senior Night and will close out the home schedule Thursday, Feb 17 by hosting Gustavus Adolphus.
The WIAC Championship/NCGA West Regional is scheduled for Saturday, March 4 at UW-Whitewater. The NCGA Championship is scheduled to return after a two-year hiatus, Saturday, March 26, at Ithaca College.
