MOUNT HOREB — The Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster gymnastics team’s run of seven straight trips to the WIAA team state gymnastics championships came to an end last Thursday night, but the Hillmen will still be represented at this week’s state meet by a pair of individuals.
Platteville senior Grace Hammermeister qualified for her fourth straight individual state meet while teammate Belmont freshman Lizzy Haag will be making her first appearance.
Hammermeister won the sectional championship on the balance beam with a winning score of 9.25 at last Thursday’s WIAA Division 2 Mount Horeb Sectional, finished second in the floor exercise (9.45) and placed fifth in the all-around (34.275) to advance in all three events.
Haag placed fourth on the uneven bars with a score of 8.35 to earn her first trip to Wisconsin Rapids.
Hammermeister and Haag will compete in Saturday’s individual state competition that begins at 11 a.m. at the Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Fieldhouse.
The top five individuals in each event at sectionals advanced to Saturday’s individual state meet. The top two teams advanced to team state competition, that will be held Friday evening.
Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster finished fifth at last week’s sectional with a score of 128.8 ending the tri-op’s seven-year run at the team state meet. A year ago the Hillmen finished ninth out of 10 teams in the Division 2 team state competition.
Mount Horeb dominated last week’s sectional, winning the title with a score of 138.375. Jefferson finished second at 132.15 to earn its first trip to team state. SWC runner-up Southwestern/Cuba City/Benton (131.2) finished third. Monona Grove (129.9) was fourth.
Hammermeister fourth in the floor exercise (9.283), 14th on the beam and 23rd in the all-around at last year’s individual state meet. She finished second on the floor (9.45) as a junior and tied for 19th on the floor (8.733) at state as a freshman.
WIAA Division 2 Mount Horeb Sectional
(from Thursday, Feb. 23 @ Mount Horeb)
Team scores — 1.Mount Horeb 138.375, 2.Jefferson 132.15, 3.Southwestern/Cuba City 131.2, 4.Monona Grove 129.9, 5.Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster 128.8, 6.Milton 128.775, 7.Whitewater 122.75.
Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster’s individual state qualifiers
All-around — 5.Grace Hammermeister 34.275. Balance Beam — 1.Hammermeister 9.25. Floor Exercise — 2.Hammermeister 9.45. Uneven bars — 4.Lizzy Haag 8.35,
Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster’s other sectional results
All-around — 17.Allison Stader 31.45, 21.Lindsey Wolf 30.525. Balance Beam — 23.Stader 7.55, 26.Wolf 7.475, 29.Brooke Pagliaro 7.2, 35.Haag 6.45. Floor Exercise — 16(tie).Paglaro 8.45, 18.Wolf 8.425, 22.Stader 8.15, 35.Chelsea Beyer 6.5. Uneven bars — 12.Mikayla Vincent 7.85, 22.Stader 7.45, 28.Hammermeister 7.15, 29.Wolf 7.0. Vault — 9.Hammermeister 8.425, 11.Stader 8.3, 30.Pagliaro 7.7, 31(tie).Wolf 7.625, 33.Haag 7.6.
