Issued: March 3, 2004

GYMNASTS TO COMPETE IN CONFERENCE TOURNEY

EAU CLAIRE - The 10th-ranked UW-Eau Claire gymnastics will compete in the 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships Friday at Mitchell Hall on the UW-La Crosse campus.

The championships will feature four of the five first place finishers from last year's competition including Eau Claire's Alison Eagles (Jr.-Shoreview, MN/Mounds View). Eagles took first place in the all-around competition and the vault. Eagles' all-around score of 37.100 last year set the WIAC Championships record.

Eagles currently holds the top scores in the all-around and vault events this year. Eagles is in a three-way tie in the vault with her score of 9.575 and is all alone on top of the all-around scoreboard with an effort of 37.875.

Lynn Morris (So.-Monticello, IN/Twin Lakes) has also had a strong year this year. Morris has been awarded the WIAC Gymnast of the Week three of the last four weeks taking first all-around in the John Zuerlein Invitational, UW-Eau Claire Quadrangular and UW-Stout Triangular.

Morris has the sixth-best score in the nation on the balance beam at 9.4813 and the seventh-best score in the all-around competition at 37.125. Kelly Settle (Sr.-Bemidji, MN) is in a three-way tie for the best balance beam score in conference this year with an effort of 9.750.

The third-ranked UW-La Crosse gymnastics team looks to win the conference tourney for the eighth consecutive year. The Eagles return three National Collegiate Gymnastics Association All-Americans and the defending WIAC champion in the uneven bars. Angela Erato will look to defend her title in the uneven bars while Nancy Peterson, Nina Schubert and Jenny Struve are the returning All-Americans.

UW-Oshkosh, UW-Whitewater and UW-Stout make up the rest of the conference. Oshkosh has a 5-18 record, UW-Whitewater 3-13, and UW-Stout 2-15.

The gymnasts are scheduled to march-in at 6 p.m. with competition beginning at 6:15 p.m.

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