2/29 gymnastics: Holmen's Jennings, G/M/C's Ebner win Division 2 state titles

By JEFF BROWN

Tribune Sports Editor

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. — It was a night of firsts and lasts for two area high school stars at the WIAA State Individual Gymnastics Meet Friday night.

It also turned out to be a night of champions. Area champions, that is. Holmen High School standout Erin Jennings, a sophomore, threw a pike suk vault for the first time in competition — and nailed it. The judges thought so, too, as they awarded her a mark of 9.4. That was the best score of the night in the Division 2 field, and enabled Jennings to become the first individual state champion in Holmen coach Karen Kuhlmann's 23-year career.

Katelin Ebner, a senior from Melrose-Mindoro and a member of the G/M/C gymnastics team, was competing in her last gymnastics meet. She, too, nailed her routine, only on the balance beam, and received a 9.217. That enabled Ebner to leave a jam-packed Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Fieldhouse a state champion as well.

"It's the first time she's tried it (in competition)," an elated Kuhlmann said of Jenning's state championship vault. "She's never landed (the vault) on anything before but the pit at UW-L. To do what she did — this is the event she broke her ankle on last year at state — to throw it for the first time at state, that takes guts."

Jennings said she didn't hesitate when Kuhlmann talked to her about throwing the vault at state. Besides, if she missed it, no big deal because the team competition is today, and that's where she really wants to do well.

“Tonight (Friday), you do it for yourself, so you might as well try it,” Jennings said. “Tomorrow is for the team. I didn't do it on the first (attempt). I did it on the second one. When I saw the 9.4, that is an amazing score I guess, especially at the state meet.”

While Kuhlmann and Jennings shared tears of joy, so did Ebner and G/M/C coach LeaAnn Bohn. Ebner, who finished second in the beam at the state meet last year, had a "beautiful warmup," Bohn said. That only gave her more confidence that Ebner was going to make her last competitive beam routine a memorable one.

Ebner did just that, sticking every part of her routine and landing on the four-inch-wide beam as if her feet had Super Glue on them. She was super all the way around as she withstood a few wobbles, then stuck her dismount.

"The beam is her favorite event," Bohn said of Ebner. "And being the last competitor, there was some pressure as all five girls (in the rotation) stuck their routines without a fall. I could tell she was going to do well when she had a beautiful warmup."

Ebner said she thought all week about the fact that this would be her last competition as she doesn't plan on pursuing gymnastics at college, which will either be at Viterbo University or UW-Stevens Point.

"We cried about that at practice yesterday," Bohn said.

With most of the emotions out of the way, Ebner went about her business and earned a state championship.

"As long as I did my best, that's all I could ask for," Ebner said. "I didn't think about the pressure too much. I didn't think about that (winning a state title) too much either. I thought that would be really cool if it happened, but I didn't want to think about it."

Now she can think about it all she want as she looks at her state championship medal.

While Jennings and Ebner earned state championships, Karla Hagen of Virqua/Cashton/De Soto had an outstanding meet, too. Hagen finished third in the vault (9.333), third on the bars (8.767), third on the beam (8.983) and fourth on the floor exercise (9.133). That left Hagen with 36.217 points, which left her in third place in the all-around scoring. Jennings was sixth in the all-around (35.0), while Ebner was seventh (34.567).

West Salem/Aquinas' Kelly Schams and Holmen's Emma Waffenschmidt tied for 10th in the all-around (33.533).

"She took last year's experience and that really helped her focus this year," Viroqua/Cashton/De Soto coach Beth Lee said of Hagen, a sophomore. "We were hoping she would be in the top three. She beat last year's score (35.4). That's a success in and of itself."

DIVISION 1

Bars: 1, Miller (Racine Horlick/Case/Park), 9.733; 2, Hummer (Mukwonago/Kettle Moraine), 9.367; 3, Wood (Arrowhead), 9.217; 4, Kirn (West Bend West), 9.033; 5, Hilton (Waterford), 8.90.

Balance beam: 1, Miller (Racine Horlick/Case/Park), 9.583; 2, Kram (Waterford), 9.450; 3, Hummer (Mukwonago/Kettle Moraine), 9.283; 4, Day (Arrowhead), 9.217; 5, Fischer (Nicolet), 9.183.

Vault: 1, Kram (Waterford), 9.667; 2, Hunt (Franklin/Muskego/Oak Creek/Whitnall), 9.50; 3, Pulvermacher (Middleton), 9.467; 4, Malcore (Brookfield East/Central), 9.43; 5, Miller (Racine Horlick/Case/Park), 9.40.

Floor exercise: 1, Hummer (Mukwonago/Kettle Moraine), 9.7; 2, Pulvermacher (Middleton), 9.60; , Miller (Racine Horlick/Case/Park), 9.517; 4, Essman (Burlington/Badger/Catholic Central/Wilm), 9.5; 5, Llanas (Waukesha West/South/North), 9.483. Other area finisher: 23, Bartlett (Central/Logan), 8.617.

All-around: 1, Miller (Racine Horlick/Case/Park), 38.233; 2, Hummer (Mukwonago/Kettle Moraine), 37.717; 3, Kram (Waterford), 37.47; 4 (tie), Essman (Burlington/Badger/Catholic Centrall/Wilm), Pulvermacher (Middleton), Lawrence (West Bend West), 36.550.

DIVISION 2

Bars: 1, Phillips (Elkorn), 9.167; 2, Jerry (River Falls), 8.817; 3, Hagen (Viroqua/Cashton/De Soto), 8.767; 4, Melin (Ashland), 8.7; 5, Wallace (Whitefish Bay), 8.550. Other area finishers: 6, Ebner (G/M/C), 8.5; 7, Jennings (Holmen), 8.467; 11, Schams (West Salem/Aquinas), 8.3; 19, Oldenburg (West Salem/Aquinas), 7.933; 23, Sheckler (Prairie du Chien), 7.55.

Balance beam: 1, Ebner (G/M/C), 9.217; 2, Phillips (Elkhorn), 9.050; 3, Hagen (V/C/D), 8.983; 4, Schroeder (Antigo), 8.967; 5, Voss (River Valley), 8.783. Other area finishers: 9, Oldenburg (WS/A), 8.550; 10, Jennings (Holmen), 8.533; 14, H. Noel (Holmen), 8.417; 18, Waffenschmidt (Holmen), 8.283; 20, Schams (WS/A), 8.083.

Vault: 1, Jennings (Holmen), 9.40; 2, Phillips (Elkhorn), 9.367; 3, Hagen (V/C/D), 9.333; 4, Jerry (River Falls), 9.167; 5, Ojala (Antigo), 9.133. Other area finishers: 13, Waffenschmidt (Holmen), 8.80; 19, Schams (WS/A), 8.550.

Floor exercise: 1, Phillips (Elkhorn), 9.467; 2, Wallace (Whitefish Bay), 9.433; 3, Ojala (Antigo), 9.2; 4, Hagen (V/C/D), 9.133; 5, Johnson (River Falls), 8.95. Other area finishers: 7, Oldenburg (WS/A), 8.883; 9, Schams (WS/A), 8.6; 13, Ebner (G/M/C), 8.483; 19, Flaherty (G/M/C), 8.250; 23, Lee (G/M/C), 7.383.All-around: 1, Phillips (Elkhorn), 37.050; 2, Schroeder (Antigo), 36.733; 3, Hagen (V/C/D), 36.217; 4, Wallace (Whitefish Bay), 35.517; 5, Jerry (River Falls), 35.483. Other area finishers: 6, Jennings (Holmen), 35.00; 7, Ebner (G/M/C), 34.567; 10 (tie), Schams (WS/A), Waffenschmidt (Holmen), 33.533; 13, Oldenburg (WS/A), 33.40.