Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire gymnastics team faced a defeat against UW-Stout in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference dual, held at Johnson Fieldhouse. The final score was 190.825 to 185.725 in favor of the Blue Devils.

Despite the loss, the Blugolds witnessed remarkable performances on the balance beam by Meghan Dahlin and Linnea Vasali. Both gymnasts achieved scores of 9.800, marking it as the second-best performance on the beam in UW-Eau Claire's history, only behind Olivia Aschenbrenner's record of 9.825 set in 2011. Dahlin and Vasali have now joined an exclusive group of three Blugold gymnasts who have scored 9.800 or higher on this apparatus.

The collective score for UW-Eau Claire on the beam was 48.150, setting a new season high for the team and winning that event. However, UW-Stout secured victories in the other three events: vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise.

Grace Gerster led her team with a vault score of 9.575, earning fourth place individually. Rachel Hettiarachchy achieved a team-high score of 9.400 on the bars, finishing fifth overall. Hanna Riha scored a leading 9.475 for UW-Eau Claire in floor exercise, also placing fifth.

In all-around competition, Madison Daly placed third with a total score of 36.600.

Looking ahead, UW-Eau Claire will host Simpson College at their next meet scheduled for Thursday, February 6th at home. The event will begin at 6 p.m., featuring Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night.

For ongoing updates throughout the season, fans can follow the Blugolds via their website or through social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.