Issued: February 18, 2004

GYMNASTS TO HOST THREE THIS WEEKEND

EAU CLAIRE - The ninth-ranked UW-Eau Claire gymnastics team will host Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponents UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater along with Hamline University this weekend at the McPhee Phy. Ed. Center.

The 5-9-1 Blugolds have been led Alison Eagles (Jr.-Shoreview, MN/Mounds View) and Lynn Morris (So.-Monticello, IN/Twin Lakes). Eagles and Morris have the top two all-around scores in conference with Eagles posting a 37.875 and Morris a 37.175. Eagles also holds the top mark in the conference in the vault competition with a score of 9.575 and is second in the WIAC in the uneven bars with a mark of 9.450.

Kelly Settle (Sr.-Bemidji, MN) and Ashley Brett (Fr.-Lake Forest, MN) also hold top marks in conference action. Settle has the top score on the balance beam with a mark of 9.750 while Brett has the top mark in the floor exercise with a score of 9.700.

The Blugolds have competed against Oshkosh twice already this year defeating the Titans by a comfortable margin each time. Eau Claire outscored Oshkosh 177.150-171.900 at the UWEC Invitational and 179.950-170.200 at the Gershon Invitational. The Titans are led by Justine Russell who holds the sixth best mark in the all-around competition in the WIAC.

Eau Claire competed against Whitewater and the UWEC Invitational and outscored the Warhawks 177.150-168.775. Whitewater is paced by Ann Kingsnorth and April Hubmann who have the fourth and fifth best all-around marks in the conference, respectively.

The eighth-ranked Hamline team comes into the weekend with a 7-3 record. The Pipers have defeated WIAC members UW-La Crosse and UW-Stout twice and have outscored Oshkosh and Whitewater once each.

The gymnasts are scheduled to walk in at 6:55 p.m. with competition beginning at 7 p.m. in the McPhee Phy. Ed. Center.