Issued: March 19, 2004

LA CROSSE CLAIMS NCGA WEST REGIONAL TITLE

EAU CLAIRE - UW-La Crosse defended its National Collegiate Gymnastics Association West Region title with a team score of 185.125 while UW-Eau Claire's Lynn Morris had the top all-around performance with a score of 36.925 here today at the NCGA West Regional at the McPhee Physical Education Center.

The Eagles earned the victory decisively as runner-up Gustavus Adolphus College finished with a team score of 182.500. Hamline University earned third place with a score of 180.825 while Eau Claire claimed fourth place with a score of 179.850. UW-Oshkosh claimed fifth place with 177.425, UW-Whitewater took sixth with 175.200 and UW-Stout rounded out the bunch with a team score of 173.075.

A variety of Eagles led La Crosse to the title, including Ashley Koechel who claimed fourth place in the all-around competition (36.650). Koechel earned first place in the uneven bars competition (9.375). The Eagles' Michelle Sletten took third place on the bars (9.275). La Crosse dominated the balance beam event, taking four out of the top five places. Jennifer Houle won the event (9.650) while teammate Angela Erato took second (9.450). La Crosse's Ann Fitzsimmons and Nancy Petersen took fourth and fifth. The only non-Eagle to earn a top-five finish in the event was Eau Claire's Morris, who earned third place (9.400).

Morris was the top all-around performer at the West Regional, claiming first place in the all-around with a score of 36.925. Morris placed in the top seven in three of the four events. Teammate Alison Eagles earned second in the all-round with a score of 36.875. Gustavus' Amanda Parker claimed third in the all-around (36.750), ending her two-year reign as all-around champion.

Alyssa Cox of Gustavus earned the vault title with a score of 9.550 while the floor exercise title went to Stout's Rhian Paulson, who won the event with a score of 9.525, edging Eau Claire's Ashley Brett who took second with a score of 9.500.

NCGA competition will conclude April 2-3 with the national championships in Cambridge, MA.

Complete Results