In their second home meet of the season, the Simpson College women’s gymnastics team went up against the DIII No. 1 ranked Titans from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (UWO). Though Simpson could not catch up to UWO by the end of the meet, the Storm gymnasts had a stellar performance, claiming the all-around and vault titles.
Dominating the first rotation, the Storm lineup came out with a first-place score of 47.65 on vault. Juniors Kaelyn Tally and Emma Tolbert claimed first and second with 9.7 and 9.6, respectively. Tolbert’s career-high 9.6 was closely followed by first-year Olivia Hedary, who tied for third with 9.5. Going into the second rotation, UWO led by less than a point with 48.025 compared to Simpson’s 47.650.
“This past summer I put in a lot of work to get an upgraded vault so I can contribute a higher start value for the team, which makes a huge difference in terms of event scoring in the long run,” Tally said.
More career highs came out of the second rotation when Hedary scored 9.45 on bars. The team was in high spirits going into the third rotation.
“We can all feel the passion and love that this team has for one another, which made the moment even sweeter. However, once our head coach circled us up and had us take a deep breath to reset our minds for beam, I became solely focused on the next event,” Hedary said.
Hedary claimed third place in beam with 9.65.
Once the Storm finished on beam, they moved to floor for the final event of the day. Along with her second vault title of the year, Tally also won her second floor title with a score of 9.75.
“The whole floor crew has each other’s backs, and the team puts out so much energy for every person competing, so having fun in routines comes very naturally,” Tally said. “The scores we put up are just a representation of the work we’ve been putting in since August.”
To close out the afternoon, Simpson showed strong floor routines from Tolbert and junior Brooklen Morgan, both scoring 9.575.
Although the Storm fell to UWO 191.350-188.350, Hedary came out on top as the all-around champion. According to the Simpson College Athletic Department, she became the first Simpson gymnast to surpass 38 points in the all-around competition.
“It is such a blessing from God, and it wouldn’t be possible without Him,” Hedary said. “I could not be happier to contribute in a positive way for this team! The team culture that we have is irreplaceable, and being able to set the record with them in front of our home crowd is a dream come true.”
Hedary scored 38.05, setting a new school record in only her fourth collegiate meet.
“I’m proud of how I have adjusted to the college lifestyle, and my team has been there for me through the ups and downs. This accomplishment makes me excited for what else is in store for Team 3!” Hedary said.
The Storm will travel on Thursday, Feb. 6, to a conference match-up against the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
