Eagle gymnasts take first place in SCC

WASECA -- New Ulm nosed out Waseca 133.3 to 131.975 in Tuesday night's conference gymnastics meet.

The meet was New Ulm's closest of the season, and a key meet to win for them in the South Central Conference.

Coach Jeanine Backer said that Waseca was their main competition. With their win Tuesday, the Eagles clinched the conference title for regular season, although New Ulm still has to face Fairmont Tuesday before it is over.

"It was a really good meet," Backer said. "Even if we hadn't won, it would've been okay, because it was a really good meet."

Although the Eagles gave up first place in many events, they came out on top.

Katie Schmidt and Ashley Cummins of Waseca took first and second place repectively in the vault competition, New Ulm's Amber Bianchi and Allison Betsch tied for third with a score of 8.725.

On bars, Allison Betsch and Christine Otis took second and third for New Ulm with an 8.6 and an 8.55. Cummins also took first in that event.

Betsch took second on balance beam for the Eagles with a score of 8.35. Waseca's Schmidt won first place on beam.

Christine Otis won by a comfortable margin in the floor excercises with a score of 9.15. Waseca took second and third in the event.

In all-around, Allison Betsch won the individual competition with a composite score of 34.175.

According to Backer, the girls did a good job with their improvements on their routines.

"I told them before the meet that I had helped them with the routines and the skills as much as I could," she said. "Tonight, it was in their hands -- it was their time to shine."

Backer is also proud of the team's achievement in the SCC. For the past six years, she has seen the team do well and improve, and this year tops them all.

"I think the gymnastics program has turned a corner into a winning program," she said. "The kids are totally confident that we will win. Tonight that confidence showed."

After the dual meets are done next week, over which the Eagles are confident to take first place, the teams begin tournament, which has a separate winner than the regular season.

The Eagles are now 4-0, 6-1.