St. Paul, MInn. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse gymnastics team finished third at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Gymnastics Championships/National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) West Regional (presented by Culver's) at Hutton Arena on Saturday afternoon.  
 

THE BASICS
Final Scores: UW-Oshkosh posted a score of 192.875 to win the WIAC Championship/NCGA West Regional, while UW-Whitewater was second with 192.275, UW-La Crosse third with 192.175, UW-Stout fourth with 190.775, Winona State University (Minn.) fifth with 188.125, UW-Eau Claire sixth with 187.050, Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) seventh with 186.300 and Hamline University (Minn.) eighth with 183.350.
Location: Hutton Arena, St. Paul, Minn. (Hosted by Hamline University). 
NCGA National Championship Implications: The conference championship also served as the West Regional qualifier for the NCGA Championship that will be conducted March 23 and hosted by Ursinus College (Pa.). UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater earned automatic spots into the national event by placing in the top two. At-large positions will be announced at a later date.
Eagles Earn Conference Honors: Claire Robbins was named Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year while Rachel Chesley earned the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete award. Claudia Walter was named to the WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team. 
       
HOW DID IT HAPPEN
    VAULT

• UWL had three of the top six finishers in the vault with Paige Breckwoldt and Alex Wood leading the way with a 9.750 each to tie for fourth place. 
• Grace Kehr tied for sixth with a 9.700. 

    UNEVEN PARALLEL BARS

• Four Eagles finished in the top five on the uneven parallel bars with Sarah Best finishing second with a 9.800.
• Next for UWL was Robbins who tied for third with a 9.725.
• Chesley and Lauren Main tied for fifth with a 9.700.

    BALANCE BEAM

• Hunter Matulka led the Eagles on the balance beam by finishing tied for third with a 9.675

    FLOOR EXERCISE

• Chesley won her second WIAC/NCGA West Regional Championship on the floor exercise as she scored a 9.775. Chesley also won a WIAC/NCGA West Regional title on the floor exercise in 2022. 
• Caelen Lansing finished fourth overall with a 9.725. 
• Also finishing in the top ten of the floor exercise was Robbins and Jessica Taylor who finished tied for sixth with a 9.675.