By MIKE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
Despite losing three experienced gymnasts to graduation, the Stevens Point Area Senior High gymnastics team fully expects to be the team to beat in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.
The Panthers are shooting for their third straight conference title but they'll have to do it without balance beam state champion Kimberly Jo Barden, Tracy Knippel and Katie Meyer.
"I think we're going to be really strong, as strong as we were last year," coach Mary Olszewski said. While she said it's hard to tell, Olszewski said D.C. Everest, Wisconsin Rapids and Antigo are the other teams in contention.
Leading the list of returnees are junior Nikki Cruz and sophomore Anne Simonis. Cruz finished second at conference in the balance beam last year while Simonis was second in the uneven bars and sixth in the balance beam.
Juniors Kim Klosno, Raenne Bugarske, Stefanie Neidermann and Jenna Weinbauer, and sophomore Carrie Williamson also return from the varsity team last year. Freshman Kaity Munsey is SPASH's lone newcomer.
"Our goal is to get a higher score (138.5) than last year," Olszewski said. The Panthers open their season Saturday at the Menomonee, Mich. Invitational. "We want to start out the year by winning," Olszewski said. "We want to get our difficulties and routines together."
After nearly a month of practice, Olszewski said the team is strong on the balance beam and the Panthers also have nice floor routines. She said the Panthers are still working on the vault and the uneven bars.
SPASH also wants to get back to the state meet as a team following a one-year hiatus. Barden qualified as an individual last year and won the first state title in the program's history.