CORTLAND, N.Y. — She won her first-career individual national championship while the UW-La Crosse gymnastics team — despite having the best scores in two events — fell just short of defending its title.
Paige Breckwoldt tied for first place on the vault with a 9.800, while the Eagles finished in second place behind UW-Oshkosh for the team National Championship. UW-O scored 194.760 to UW-L’s 194.100.
Despite the second-place finish, the Eagles extended their dominant legacy in the NCGA, marking the program’s 28th Top 2 finish in 41 years.
While UW-O took the overall team trophy, the Eagles proved to be the strongest in the building on two specific apparatuses.
UW-L recorded the meet’s highest team scores on both the balance beam (48.675) and the floor exercise (49.025).
Six different Eagles walked away with NCGA All-America honors for finishing in the Top 8:
- Paige Breckwoldt: Vault (1st), Floor (T-7th)
- Lainey Vogt: Balance Beam (T-2nd)
- Lauren Main: Balance Beam (T-4th)
- Grace Edwards: Floor Exercise (T-7th)
- Claire Robbins: Floor Exercise (T-7th)
Lainey Vogt nearly grabbed a title of her own on the beam, finishing just a fraction off the lead with a 9.800.
With the runner-up finish, UW-L coach Kasey Crawford and the Eagles continue an unprecedented run in Division III gymnastics.
The program still holds the NCGA record with 18 national championships. The WIAC showed its depth on the national stage Friday with Wisconsin schools taking four of the Top 5 spots in the final standings.
