By Troy Sparks
SLN Correspondent
Experience is on the side of the Whitewater gymnastics team, and the Whippets will need every bit of it to be competitive all-season long.
Whitewater will lean on one senior and six juniors to lead the way for the five new gymnasts. Caitlin Zimdars will start her senior season as a four-year member of the gymnastics team. Right behind her are juniors Sydney Treder, Autumn Cesar, Nicole Tomomitsu, Katherine Staniszewski, Carina Casillas and Sierra Brunner.
“They have had a strong showing for the Whippets the past three years and we expect great things to come from them this upcoming season,” Whitewater coach Kelsea Fischer said of her junior gymnasts.
New to the team are Jocelin Beecroft, Bianca Sanchez, Maribel Pena, Marianna Cano and Lydia Bols.
“We are extremely excited to see what is in store for these ladies and the contributions they will make to the team,” Fischer said. “Our goal is to place in the top four at the conference meet next year. It will be exciting to see where this season takes us and to watch all of the hard work these ladies have put in to pay off on the competition floor.”
The returning gymnasts are looking to improve on their performance in the postseason in 2018. Treder had the best performance for Whitewater in last season’s Division 2 sectionals on the balance beam where she finished ninth overall as a sophomore with an average score of 8.5. Treder was 27th overall on the floor exercise with a score of 7.95. She had a score of 7.375, which was good for 24th place on the uneven bars, and a 15th place showing on the vaults with a score of 8.225. She had an average score of 32.05, which was good for 16th place in the all-around competition.
Tomomitsu was 20th overall on the floor exercise with an 8.3 score, 28th on the balance beam with a score of 7.25, 30th on the uneven bars with a score of 6.825, 28th in vaulting with a score of 7.775 and had a score of 30.225 for 22nd place in the all-around exercise.
Staniszewski was 31st on the floor exercise with a score of 7.65, 20th on the balance beam for a score of 7.8, 35th on the uneven bars for a score of 4.15, 21st in vaulting for a score of 8.1 and had a score of 27.7 for 26th place in the all-around.
Brunner placed 33rd with a score of 7.175 on the floor exercise, 22nd on the balance beam with a score of 7.6, 32nd on the uneven bars for a score of 6.55, 35th on the vaults for a score of 7.35 and was 25th in the all-around event.
Cesar placed 33rd with a score of 5.75, 19th with a score of 8.15 and 24th with a score of 30.025 on the uneven bars, vaulting and all-around events, respectively.
Whitewater finished seventh as a team in the sectional. The Whippets made it to state in 1989, 1991 and 1992. The 1992 team finished in third place.
The Whippets will open their season at Jefferson on Dec. 8 and compete against Markesan, the West Allis/Nathan Hale High co-op, Germantown/Menomonee Falls and Jefferson.
