Individuals & Teams Win State Gymnastics Titles
WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. – The 2023 State Gymnastics Championships produce individual champions in five events in two divisions Saturday at Wisconsin Rapids High School.
Junior Annika Rufenecht of Verona/Edgewood won the Division 1 all-around competition for the second year in a row, compiling a score of 38.1, and senior Maggie Porkorny of Homestead was second for the second consecutive season, scoring 37.55.
Rufenecht also won the uneven bars competition with a score of 9.483 after a runner-up finish a year ago in the event. In addition, she tied junior teammate Denise Ta for the championship on the balance beam with a score of 9.517.
Porkorny claimed the title in two events. She earned the gold medal in the vaulting competition after placing third last season and seventh in 2021. She also earned the top spot on the awards podium in the floor exercise with a performance scoring a 9.5 after she tied for fifth in 2022.
In Division 2, senior Cassi Hansen of Nicolet repeated as champion in the all-around with a four-event score of 37.417. Sophomore Abby Roecker of Waupun was runner-up with a score of 36.583 after a fourth-place standing in the event.
Hansen won the uneven bars this season with a score of 9.6 after tying for second last year and placing third in 2021. She was also the gold medalist this year in the floor exercise with the judges’ score of 9.433.
Roecker captured the crown on the balance beam with a score 8.917, and sophomore Avery Ash of Rice Lake was the champion in the vaulting competition with a score of 9.483 after she placed fourth last season.
In the team competition Friday evening, Verona/Edgewood captured its first Division 1 title by scoring a four-event score of 146.1167. Last year’s champion, Franklin/Muskego finished runner-up with a score of 145.3167.
Verona/Edgewood recorded the top team score, consisting of the top four scores in each event, in two of the four events, including the balance beam and the floor exercise. The co-op had the second-highest score in the vault and uneven bars, behind Franklin/Muskego in those events.
Nicolet won the Division 2 championship with a score of 142.75. The West Salem/Aquinas/Bangor co-op finished in second place, scoring 138.0 points.
The Knights won the program’s fifth State team championship. The previous four came when there was only a single-division tournament from 1980-82 and again in 1986. They posted the highest team score in every event.
Complete Team & Individual Results
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
