NCGA Championship Results

Eau Claire, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse gymnastics team captured its fourth consecutive National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Division III Championship Friday night in the McPhee Physical Education Center on the campus of UW-Eau Claire. It is the Eagles' record 15th national title in school history and 10th in the last 11 years. 

Ranked fourth in the pre-meet standings, UW-L finished with a season-high score of 191.175 Friday night. The overall score is the second-highest in NCGA history since changing to the five score totals in 2001. UW-L won the 2004 title with a record score of 191.275. 

The Eagles set single-season highs Friday on the vault (47.825), uneven parallel bars (46.825) and balance beam (48.475). UW-L scored a 48.050 on the floor exercise. 

"This is my 26th national championship and I've never seen a group with more energy than tonight," said head coach Barb Gibson. "They were so calm, confident and focused. It really started at our practice Thursday when they showed the same sets as tonight."

"We really got off to a great start with our first two on the uneven parallel bars (UW-L's first event) and the rest of the team started to hit and gain confidence." 

Gibson has led UW-L to all 15 of its national titles. 

UW-Whitewater placed second Friday (187.550) while Ithaca College (N.Y.) was third (185.375). SUNY-Cortland and The College of Brockport (N.Y.) tied for fourth (185.250) while UW-Eau Claire was sixth (184.725) and UW-Stout seventh (182.475).

For final stats, click here.

UW-L's Christa Booman captured the NCGA title in the all-around Friday with a score of 38.650. She is the fourth gymnast in school history to win the all-around title, joining Lisa Kartman (1986), Kim MacKrille (1988) and Kari Motz (1997).

Booman's score of 38.650 is the second-highest in NCGA history. Carrie Santore of The College of Brockport (N.Y.) set the record in 2004 with a score of 38.675.

The Eagles' Morgan Shene was fourth in the all-around Friday (38.150).

Booman and Shene both earn NCGA All-America honors. The top-10 finishers in the all-around earn NCGA All-America honors.

The top-14 finishers, plus ties, on the vault, balance beam, uneven parallel bars and floor exercise advance to the individual championships Saturday, March 26 starting at 3:30 p.m. 

For UW-L, Tegan Oare, Jenna Swails and Booman all advance in the vault while Booman, Shene, Kristen Buschke and Jen Andersen advance to the uneven parallel bars final. 

On the balance beam, the Eagles' Booman, Rachel Budelier, Shene and Taylor Cochran advance to Saturday's competition. UW-L's Kendra Klein, Swails, Booman and Katrina Schuch advance in the floor exercise. Scores do not carry over from Friday to Saturday.

The top-six finishers Saturday will be named NCGA First All-America while the next six individual finishers earned NCGA Second Team All-America awards.

The individual championships begin at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.