Ithaca, N.Y. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse gymnastics team placed third at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championships Saturday in Ben Light Gymnasium at Ithaca College (N.Y.). The Eagles finished with a team score of 192.575 while UW-Oshkosh captured the national title with 194.100. Brockport College (N.Y.) was second with a score of 192.600.

Ithaca (N.Y.) placed fourth (192.325), UW-Whitewater fifth (191.975) and Springfield College (Mass.) sixth (186.700). 

UWL set a season-high in overall (192.575), vault (48.400) and floor exercise (48.300) on Saturday. The Eagles recorded 47.800 on the uneven parallel bars and 48.075 on the balance beam. 

UWL's overall score of 192.575 ranks as the fourth-highest in school history while the vault total of 48.400 is the second-highest and 48.300 on the floor exercise is tied for 10th. The Eagles finished with a school record score of 193.650 at the 2016 NCGA Championships. The school record on the vault (48.475) was set at Illinois State University in 2017 while the floor exercise record (49.225) was also at the 2016 national championships.

The Eagles' Kerrie Legault captured the NCGA title on the uneven parallel bars (9.800) on Saturday, finishing tied for first with Taylor Bushey of Brockport (N.Y.), Winter Osborne of Springfield (Mass.) and Emily Buffington of UW-Oshkosh. Legault is the ninth gymnast in UWL history to win the national crown on the uneven parallel bars, joining Kris Robbins (1985), Lisa Kartman (1986), Susie Milts (1988), Michelle Saxton (2003), Nina Schubert (2004-06), Amy Enright (2015), Samantha Wiekamp (2015) and Dani Barmore (2016). 

Legault's score of 9.800 is tied for the fourth-highest mark in school history. Enright had a school record 9.850 at the 2015 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC)/NCGA West Regional Championships. 

UWL had four of the top-12 finishers on the vault Saturday with Alex Wood tying for third (9.775), Rachel Chesley tied for eighth (9.700), Madi Vanderpool tied for 10th (9.675) and Megan Hawkins tied for 12th (9.650). Wood's score of 9.775 is tied for eighth in school history. 

Along with Legault capturing the uneven parallel bars title, Chesley finished tied for ninth (9.700). 

Olivia Opheim tied for sixth on the balance beam (9.775) while Jenna Danninger tied for ninth on the floor exercise (9.750). 

By virtue of their top-eight finishes, Legault (uneven parallel bars), Wood (vault), Chesley (vault), and Opheim (balance beam) earn NCGA All-America honors. It is the first career All-America honors for Wood, Chesley and Opheim. Legault earns her second career All-America accolade. She was named to the 2019-20 NCGA All-America Team on the uneven parallel bars based on the regular-season average scores. The 2020 and 2021 NCGA Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 public health threat. 

UWL has won an NCGA record 17 team titles (1986, 1988, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001-06, 2008-11, 2015-16). 

Individually, UWL now boasts 35 former national champions (19 gymnasts). In addition, UWL student-athletes have earned 244 All-America honors throughout the history of the NCGA Championships. 

Kasey Crawford completed her sixth season as UWL's head coach in 2021-22.  She led the Eagles to the WIAC Championship in 2018 and second-place finishes at the NCGA Championships in 2017 and 2018.

UWL assistant coach Robyn Magee was named the WIAC Assistant Coach of the Year at the conclusion of Saturday's championships.

Opheim, Megan Hawkins and Emma Grant were honored as 2021-22 Senior All-Americas.