Women's Gymnastics
Athletes of the Week

Week of Feb. 25 - March 2
Mackenzie Howard, Junior (Hales Corners/Whitnall), of UW-La Crosse
Howard won the balance beam (9.500) and placed second in the floor exercise (9.400) and sixth on the uneven bars (9.050) in UW-La Crosse’s victory at its own triangular on Feb. 29 against UW-Eau Claire and Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.).

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kristi Olson, Senior, Minnetonka, Minn.
UW-Oshkosh, Vanessa Virbitsky, Senior, Harrisburg, Pa. (Central Dauphin)

Week of Feb. 18 - 24
Meghan Hargens, Sophomore (Rosemount, Minn.), of UW-Stout
Hargens swept all five individual events as UW-Stout defeated Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), 175.875-169.975, Friday at Johnson Fieldhouse. She took the top spot in the vault (9.425), uneven bars (9.025), balance beam (8.95), floor exercise (9.55) and the all-around (36.950). Hargens collected a pair of top three finishes as UW-Stout finished third at the Hamline University (Minn.) Invitational Sunday. Hargens was second on the uneven bars (9.275) and third in the all-around (36.275).

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Anna Sutherland, Junior, Arden Hills, Minn. (Roseville)
UW-La Crosse, Gabi Hooper, Sophomore, New Brighton, Minn. (Totino-Grace)
UW-Oshkosh, Vanessa Virbitsky, Senior, Harrisburg, Pa. (Central Dauphin)
UW-Whitewater, Danielle Crinzi, Junior, New Berlin

Week of Feb. 11 - 17
Kasey Clausen, Senior (Apple Valley, Minn.), of UW-La Crosse
Clausen won two events in UW-La Crosse’s win at the UW-Stout Triangular on Feb. 15.  She captured the uneven bars (9.550) and balance beam (9.575).

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kerri Ritsche, Freshman, South Range (Superior)
UW-Oshkosh, Stacie Jenkins, Freshman, Peoria, Ariz.
UW-Stout, Naomi DeLara, Freshman, Kahului, Hawaii
UW-Whitewater, Justine Weyer, Freshman, Germantown
Winona State University, Alexandra Nugent, Junior, Sheboygan

Week of Feb. 4 - 10
Vanessa Virbitsky, Senior (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), of UW-Oshkosh
Virbitsky had the highest score in three of the five individual categories as UW-Oshkosh defeated UW-Stout, 179.925-177.125, on February 8.  She won the all-around competition with 36.775 points.  Her total included first-place scores of 9.45 in the floor exercise and 9.40 on the vault.  Virbitsky also placed third on the balance beam with 9.225 points and fifth on the uneven bars with 8.70.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Brittany Adams, Senior, Maple Grove, Minn.
UW-La Crosse, Mackenzie Howard, Junior, Hales Corners (Whitnall)
UW-Stout, Ashley Timm, Senior, Eden Prairie, Minn.
UW-Whitewater, Amanda Smith, Freshman, Rapid City, SD
Winona State University, Melissa Baudhuin, Freshman, Oshkosh

Week of Jan. 28 - Feb. 3
Erin Sommer, Junior (Racine/Horlick), of UW-La Crosse
Sommer won the all-around (37.225) at the 27th annual Gershon/McLellan Invitational on February 1. She also won the balance beam with a meet record score of 9.750.  Sommer was second on the floor exercise (9.400) and fourth on the vault (9.425) as UW-La Crosse claimed the team title.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kristi Olson, Senior, Minnetonka, Minn.
UW-Oshkosh, Brynn Dorsey, Junior, Oshkosh (Lourdes)
UW-Stout, Meghan Hargens, Sophomore, Rosemount, Minn.
UW-Whitewater, Justine Weyer, Freshman, Germantown
Winona State University, Melissa Baudhuin, Freshman, Oshkosh

Week of Jan. 21 - 27
Ashley Timm, Senior (Eden Prairie, Minn.), of UW-Stout
Timm tied for first in the all-around at the John Zuerlein Invitational with teammate Meghan Hargens with a score of 36.750.  Timm was second on the vault (9.175), second on the balance beam (9.425), third on the uneven bars (9.075) and third on the floor exercise (9.300).  The Blue Devils won the John Zuerlein Invitational, their first invitational win since February 14, 2003.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Lauren Strecker, Freshman, Little Canada, Minn. (Roseville)
UW-La Crosse, Jackie LaFleur, Junior, New Brighton, Minn. (Irondale)
UW-Oshkosh, Vanessa Virbitsky, Senior, Harrisburg, Pa. (Central Dauphin)
UW-Whitewater, Justine Weyer, Freshman, Germantown
Winona State University, Alexandra Nugent, Junior, Sheboygan

Week of Jan. 14 - 20
Kristen Weniger, Junior (Eagan, Minn.), of Hamline University
In helping the Pipers to a second-place finish in their home triangular meet with UW-La Crosse and Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), Weniger won the all-around title with a score of 35.700 (8.9 vault, 8.7 uneven parallel bars, 8.875 balance beam and 9.225 floor exercise).  She also claimed two events, taking the title on the uneven bars and floor exercise.  Weniger added a seventh place finish on the balance beam and eight place standing on the vault.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Kristi Olson, Senior, Minnetonka, Minn.
UW-La Crosse, Gabi Hooper, Sophomore, New Brighton, Minn. (Totino-Grace)
UW-Oshkosh, Kelly Busacker, Junior, LaVista, Neb. (Papillion La Vista)
UW-Stout, Meghan Hargens, Sophomore, Rosemount, Minn.
Winona State University, Melissa Baudhuin, Freshman, Oshkosh

Week of Jan. 7 - 13
Justine Weyer, Sophomore (Colgate/Germantown), of UW-Whitewater
Weyer won four events in UW-Whitewater’s 180.875-170.550 victory over Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) on January 12.  She won the all-around (37.525), vault (9.475), uneven bars (9.575) and floor exercise (9.375).  Her marks in the vault and uneven bars tied for third best in the Warhawk record book, while her performance in the all-around was the fifth-highest total in school history.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Samantha Howard, Sophomore, St. Paul, Minn. (Henry Sibley)
UW-La Crosse, Jackie LaFleur, Junior, New Brighton, Minn. (Irondale)
UW-Oshkosh, Vanessa Virbitsky, Senior, Harrisburg, Pa. (Central Dauphin)
UW-Stout, Naomi DeLara, Freshman, Kahului, Hawaii

Week of Dec. 31 - Jan. 6
Molly Weber, Freshman (El Prado, New Mexico), of Hamline University
In leading Hamline University (Minn.) to a 168.125-160.025 victory over defending NCGA champion UW-Oshkosh, Weber won the all-around title and finished second in a pair of events.  She won the all-around crown with a score of 34.250 and placed second on the balance beam (9.100) and uneven bars (7.875).

Also nominated:
UW-Oshkosh, Vanessa Virbitsky, Senior, Harrisburg, Pa. (Central Dauphin)

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