UW-Whitewater finished third in the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championship hosted by Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts Friday.  UW-W senior Justine Weyer (Colgate/Germantown) earned the sixth All-America honor of her career with a fourth place finish in the all-around competition joined by freshman teammate Katie Thompson (Kingsport, TN/Sullivan South) in seventh place, and the Warhawks broke the school record in the team uneven bars event to highlight the first of two days at the national meet.  The specialties (vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise) will compete for individual honors Saturday.  See UW-W Gymnastics Championship Central

UW-La Crosse won the NCGA championship with New York-Brockport second at 186.2.  UW-W scored 184.75 points, the eleventh highest total in the school record book.  Whitewater qualified for the NCGA meet by winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference/West Regional championship earlier this month.  The third place finish equals the best ever for UW-W, tying what the Warhawks accomplished last year.  UW-W placed fifth in 2008 in the school's only other appearance in the national championship. 

Weyer, the most decorated gymnast in UW-W history, earned her third All-America honor in the all-around competition, improving on her fifth place finishes in 2008 and 2009.  The top ten finishers in the all-around are considered NCGA All-Americans.  Weyer's score of 37.975 is tied for seventh in the UW-W record book, where she holds six of the top eight scores.  The fourth place finish is the second highest ever by a Warhawk gymnast, topped only by Danielle Crinzi (New Berlin/Eisenhower)'s third place in 2007.   Thompson, at 37.375 in the all-around, is the first freshman in UW-W history to earn gymnastics All-America recognition.  Weyer and Thompson are the second pair of Whitewater gymnasts to earn all-around All-America honors in the same year, joining Crinzi and Ashley George (East Dubuque, IL/East Dubuque) (seventh) in 2007. 

Weyer also led UW-Whitewater's uneven bars team to its school record total of 46.55, topping the old mark of 46.45.  Weyer, 9.525, was joined by Lauren Corrigan (Clarksville, TN/Clarksville) (9.225), Annie Mix (Olive Branch, MS/SBEC) (9.45), Katie Thompson (Kingsport, TN/Sullivan South) (9.3), and Mary Kate Young (Lawrenceville, GA/Cullins Hill) (9.05).

Whitewater's vault team also made an entry in the record book with its 47.125 tying for fifth in the record book.  Weyer led the group again, with her score of 9.70 also tying for fifth on the school record list.  Weyer owns the six top vault scores on the list.  Young (9.325) and Thompson (9.45) were also contributors, as were Leah Applin (Brooklyn Park, MN/Champlin Park) (9.275) and Siri Wischmann (Delano, MN/Delano) (9.375).  

Young had Whitewater's top score in the floor exercise Friday at 9.625, and Thompson led the Warhawks with 9.425 on the balance beam. 

The top twelve finishers in each of the four specialties will earn All-America honors Saturday.

For additional information:  Jennifer Regan, UW-W coach