By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
The Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) gymnastics team added another dual meet to the win column on Thursday, Jan. 24, topping Wisconsin Rapids, 140.475 to 137.175.
"We were shooting for 141-plus," said SPASH coach Mary Olszewski. "We have to get 141, 142 consistently."
The SPASH team outscored Rapids in every event, although Rapids took first places in all but the uneven parallel bars behind the performance of Joanne Scherwinski, perhaps the best gymnast in the area.
But the Panthers took two of the three places in each event, and the depth of the squad produced another victory.
In the parallel bars, Raenee Bugarski took first with a score of 8.875 and Anne Simonis was third with an 8.6. Stefanie Niedermann had an 8.475, Klosno an 8.45 and Kaity Munsey an 8.35.
Bugarske also took second in the vault with an 8.95 score and Carrie Williamson was third with a score of 8.85. Nikki Cruz and Munsey had 8.5s and Klosno had an 8.2.
Bugarske added another second in the floor exercise with a 9.25 score and Munsey was third with a 9.2. Klosno had an 8.95, Cruz an 8.75 and Jenna Weinbauer an 8.45.
On the balance beam for SPASH, Nikki Cruz was second with a 9.0 and Kim Klosno was third with a 8.975. Munsey had an 8.95, Bugarske an 8.2 and Weinbauer a 7.125.
In the overall performance, Scherwinski was first with 35.925, followed by Bugarske at 35.275 and Klosno at 34.575.
"We were a little shaky on the beam," Olszewski said, "those little falls really hurt us."
While the team was short of its 141 goal, Olszewski said "we put some new moves in that were successful. And overall we did well."
The Panthers will have a break now until Thursday, Feb. 7, when they will travel to Merrill for a meet. "We have almost a two-week break," she said. "It's nice to have a break to clean things up."
In the jayvee meet preceding varsity action, SPASH won 119.5 to 95.15.
Capturing firsts for the junior Panthers were Niedermann in the vault, Kelly Nornberg in the floor exercise, Simonis in the balance beam and Williamson in the uneven parallel bars. The Panthers also captured every second place in the meet. Jennie Grubba and Jaime Rugg tied for the spot in vault, Grubba was second in the floor exercise, Nicki Tuen was second on the balance beam and Rugg was second in the bars.