MEDFORD-COLBY GYMNASTICS PREVIEW - Expectations don’t change; Raiders aim for more success

MEDFORD-COLBY GYMNASTICS PREVIEW

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Consistent success has been the trademark of Medford Raiders gymnastics since the program won its first Great Northern Conference championship in 2017 and began its run of five straight team state appearances in 2019.

There are some changes as the 202324 season gets started, most notably with Andrée Brushaber taking over this past summer as the program’s new head coach, but the Raiders have changed nothing with their approach of aiming high.

The Medford-Colby co-op, as it is officially known, features a relatively small but talented group of nine gymnasts, seven of whom return from last year’s WIAA Division 2 sectional championship team that finished in March as the seventh-place team at the state championship meet in Wisconsin Rapids.

Brushaber and her assistant Megan Yanko have been working with the team since official practices began on Nov. 6 in preparation for the season’s first two meets which include Saturday’s Hot Cocoa Invitational at Medford Area Elementary School and the GNC opener Tuesday at Stevens Point.

“This season so far has been great,” Brushaber said. “Megan and I work very well together. We have to schedule practices around the needs of Rainbow Gymnastics, but it is worth it. The atmosphere cannot be beat and the variety of equipment is a significant improvement from when I was a gymnast.”

The home opener Saturday is again scheduled to include Marshfield, Mosinee, Rice Lake and Tomah and starts at 9 a.m. Marshfield is the defending Hot Cocoa champion and is also the team the Raiders are hoping to chase down in the GNC’s Large Division. After four straight Small Division titles and five in six years, Medford-Colby took second in its first season in the Large Division last winter, finishing ahead of Wisconsin Rapids and Stevens Point. Marshfield edged by Raiders by 0.9 points in the conference meet.

While the first two meets serve as just the starting points for the new season, the Raiders are obviously hoping for a fast start.

“We have some big skills in the making and there is a mental component that needs to be reinforced for the athlete to feel prepared,” Brushaber said. “I think if we felt totally prepared, then we are not striving for greatness. I think it is a healthy motivator for the girls but yes, when learning the athletes who do not attend Rainbow Gymnastics there is a sense of catching up for me as a coach. I am learning about them as people, athletes, and discovering their needs as members of the team.

“I want the girls to enjoy themselves, stay healthy, and feel good about their efforts (in the first meets),” she added. “Obviously, we want clean routines and to win as a team.”

The roster overview starts with senior Kyla Krause, the reigning GNC Large Division Gymnast of the Year. Krause won the division’s all-around, vault and floor exercise championships and was the second-place all-around finisher at the sectional meet in Antigo. Krause missed a medal by one place at the state meet, taking seventh on the vault with a 9.333 score. She was 23rd all-around in Division 2, including a 23rd-place finish on the balance beam and a 25thplace finish on the uneven bars. The program’s record holder on vault (9.4), the uneven bars (9.05) and allaround (35.55), Krause obviously looks to close her career with a bang.

“Kyla has her mind on placing at state, and has worked tirelessly this summer to add skills to her repertoire on bars, beam, and vault,” Brushaber said. “She has also stated that her goal is also for us to go to state as a team.”

Ellison Carbaugh and Kaileigh Mientke round out the three-member senior class. Both vaulted for Medford in the post-season. Carbaugh got as high as 8.575 at the conference meet and Mientke’s best vault score of 8.283 came at state. Mientke also contributed to the varsity on beam last season.

“My expectation is that they keep communicating their needs, support their teammates and continue to demonstrate leadership,” Brushaber said of Carbaugh and Mientke. “I want them to stay healthy, enjoy the season and polish things on beam and vault.”

Brushaber said, as a trio, the seniors have set a good leadership tone.

“They have been great,” she said. “They were the only members that were able to come to our second face painting fundraiser. They work together, they all communicate well with each other, and they provide feedback to us as coaches.

They demonstrate a high level of respect for their teammates and coaches.”

Shayla Radlinger and Veronica Mateer are the two juniors, both of whom have contributed significantly to the team’s success the past two years. In team state competition, Mateer competed on beam (8.05) and floor (8.33). She got as high as 8.5 on floor and 8.4 on beam during the year. Radlinger has done solid work especially on the floor and bars, where she earned scores of 8.3 and 7.5 in team state competition. She got as high as 8.775 on floor last year and 8.0 on bars.

“I see confidence growing and an immense understanding to think ahead,” Brushaber said of her juniors. “These girls are so dedicated and do not give up. Shayla is so observant, welcoming, and powerful. Veronica is so fluid, graceful, and independently self-directed to get her reps in.”

Delaina Meyer and Bridget Cloud are the sophomores and join Mateer as the team’s representatives from Colby. Both easily earned letters in their freshman seasons and got to compete at state as well. Meyer earned solid scores of 8.5 on floor, 8.417 on vault and 7.767 on beam at Rapids. Cloud got a 7.983 in state balance beam competition and got as high as 8.3 during the year while also competing at the varsity level on vault several times, getting as high as 8.4.

“Bridget would be the first to say that she wants to improve her tumbling skills on the floor,” Brushaber said. “Delaina would like to make strides in vault as she has been working on a more difficult skill.”

This year’s freshmen are Raylin Rothmeier and Lindsey Kauffman, both of whom came up through the Rainbow Club.

“Raylin and Lindsey are great additions to the team,” Brushaber said. “They are serious about the sport and

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work hard in practice. They demonstrate great initiative in practice and are courageous. They are willing to take on new challenges and are very respectful young ladies. The skills they possess coming into the year is impressive.”

The departures from last year are, longtime coach Steve Cain, one of the area’s top gymnasts the past four years Kate Malchow and another significant contributor, Avery Purdy.

Brushaber said the floor looks to be the team’s top overall event to start the year, but with time and tweaks, vault and beam could be right there.

“The beautiful thing about this team is how everyone is willing to grow and share ideas with each other,” Brushaber said. “If we minimize our falls on beam, then beam will be an obvious strength. But in the past beam has been our weakest event. With vault, we have some great things brewing so spectators and fans will have to wait to find out how that develops.”

This year’s schedule again includes invitationals at Rhinelander, River Falls, Antigo and Ashland. Rhinelander hosts the GNC Large and Small Division championships on Feb. 17 and Antigo again hosts the sectional sometime between Feb. 22 and 24. With luck, especially when it comes to health, the Raiders will be gunning for a sixth straight state appearance and fifth straight sectional title in that meet that includes host Red Robins, Rhinelander, Mosinee, Lakeland, the Ashland Co-op, Rice Lake and the Grantsburg Co-op.

“Overall, individually and as a team, we are strong,” Brushaber said. “These athletes have demonstrated that they have been coached very well throughout the years whether that be from their respective club or high school. Staying healthy is key.”