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The streak continues
Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster qualifies for 6th straight WIAA gymnastics team state championships
pla gym team
The Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster gymnastics team finished second at Saturdays Division 2 Mount Horeb Sectional to earn a sixth straight trip to the team state championships. Members of the team are (from left) Jenna Phillips, Mikayla Vincent, Marissa Marino, Grace Hammermeister, Regan Geigle, Alyssa Bainbridge, Brooke Pagliaro, Allison Stader and Maddie Rand.

 MOUNT HOREB — The streak lives on. The Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster gymnastics team needed a complete team effort to finish second at Friday’s WIAA Division 2 Mount Horeb Sectional and earn the program’s sixth straight trip to the WIAA Gymnastics Team State Championships.

The Hillmen posted an aggregate score of 128.575 to finish just ahead of Milton (128.35) and SWC rival Southwestern/Cuba City (127.050). Host Mount Horeb, the top-ranked team in Division 2, ran away with the team title with a team score of 142.125.

“We knew going in to sectionals Mount Horeb would be untouchable,” said P/B/L head coach Jessica Hill. “But there were three teams that would be close for second. With the scores so close we didn’t know until the results were announced if we placed second or third. It was an amazing feeling when it was announced Milton was third.”

“This will be the sixth year in a row that we have qualified for the state meet,” added Hill. “The overwhelming  emotions that come with it never gets old. I cannot begin to express the gratitude I have for the all of the gymnasts who work hard trusting their coaches are leading them down the path of success, the parents who have supported us in the past and present, and all the others who have helped us coach along the way.

“It took everyone on the team to get this win.”

Junior Jenna Phillips finished ninth in the all-around (33.425) and qualified for Saturday’s D2 Individual State Championships with a fifth-place finish on the floor exercise (8.95).

Sophomore Grace Hammermeister finished 11th in the all-around (32.775) and qualified for individual state also on the floor exercise after finishing third in the event (9.25).

Phillips and Hammermeister will be joined by senior Regan Geigle, juniors Alyssa Bainbridge and Marissa Marino, sophomores Brooke Pagliaro, Maddie Rand and Mikayla Vincent, and freshman Allison Stader in Friday’s team state competition.

The team state championships will be held Friday at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School beginning at 2 p.m. Individual State will begin Saturday morning at 11:10 a.m.

WIAA Division 2 Mount Horeb Sectional
(from Friday, Feb. 27 @ Mount Horeb)
Team Scores — 1.Mount Horeb 142.125, 2.Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster 128.575, 3.Milton 128.35, 4.Southwestern/Cuba City 127.050, 5.Dodgeville/Mineral Point 125.625, 6.Monona Grove 125.125, 7.Jefferson 122.175, 8.Elkhorn 117.725, 9.Whitewater 116.625.
Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster’s individual results
All-around — 9.Jenna Phillips 33.425, 11.Grace Hammermeister 32.775, 18.Alyssa Bainbridge 30.80.
Balance Beam — 8.Phillips 8.550, 9(tie).Hammermeister 8.450, 26(tie).Regan Geigle 7.50, 32(tie).Allison Stader 7.10, 40.Bainbridge 6.40. Floor Exercise — 3.Hammermeister 9.25, 5(tie).Phillips 8.95, 11.Bainbridge 8.325, 21(tie).Stader 7.85, 31(tie).Brooke Pagliaro 7.40. Uneven bars — 9(tie).Phillips 8.325, 13.Bainbridge 8.025, 14(tie).Mikayla Vincent 7.775, 20(tie).Maddie Rand 7.325, 23.Hammermeister 7.275. Vault — 18(tie).Bainbridge 8.050, 28(tie).Hammermeister 7.80, 31(tie).Rand 7.70, 33.Phillips 7.60, 34(tie).Marissa Marino 7.550.