“This year we were more like a family,” sophomore gymnast Paige Magel said. “It was more like I felt everybody was behind me, not like everybody is cheering for me, but like everybody wanted the best for everybody.”
The UW-Whitewater gymnastics team became closer than ever before this season. Bonded by the shared goal of honoring Kara Welsh, and bonded by the goal of winning a national title.
“After everything that happened, we became such a close family,” Magel said. “That just helped, like we all had a connection with each other on such a deep level. Having our head coach be coach of the year is kind of cool, her being there for us and us being there for her really showed to other people too.”
After taking third place at the WIAC championships and needing an at-large bid to get into the national championship, the Warhawks took advantage. Guided by head coach Jennifer Regan, who won both regional and national coach of the year, the gymnastics team took second place at the national meet.
“We kind of changed our mindset from beating everyone else to beating ourselves,” junior gymnast Tegan Haberstock said. “… We were just focused on ourselves the entire competition and being behind one another.”
Magel and Haberstock won a share of the balance beam national title. They actually prefer sharing the title. Not only because it “would be too much attention,” as Magel put it, but because of how much of a family this team was.
“I think it’s an honor to be able to share it, especially with a teammate,” Haberstock said. “I think it’s so cool we’re able to call ourselves the best in the nation. That’s so insane to me.”
It’s insane to both of them, even weeks after winning.
“It still hasn’t set in,” Haberstock said. “People will say stuff and I’m like, I don’t know, I just had a good beam day.”
It was a little more than just a good beam day; the team set the program record on the balance beam with a score of 48.875. But the two champions are slow to admit how good they are.
“I feel like it was just luck,” Magel said, “like I feel like I got really lucky–”
“Just had a good beam day,” Haberstock replied.
“Yeah, I don’t know,” Magel said. “I never thought I’d get this far on beam, so I’m kind of shocked by that.”
For the Warhawks, it’s fitting that beam was their most successful event on the day.
This season, according to Magel, the team had tons of athletes trying to get one of the coveted spots on the beam team. The internal competition was a motivator, not something that pitted teammates against each other. All that competition was supported by beam coach Acacia Fossum, a member of the Warhawk assistant coaches, who were honored as the best in the region.
“Our beam coach really knows how to manage that, put the pressure on us, but then also she can be there for us when we need it. She found that balance,” Magel said.
Behind Fossum’s support, the Warhawks had a remarkable year. This season, the team recorded four of the 14 highest team beam scores in program history.
At the national championships, it was Magel who set the tone for the Warhawks when they stepped onto the balance beam.
“I think in that moment I knew I was going to hit my routine,” Magel said. “I didn’t know it was going to be that good, I just knew that I had my whole team behind me.”
By “that good,” Magel means that she set her career high on the balance beam with a score of 9.85. Haberstock saw that and went on to also record a personal best.
“I’m watching because I’m later in the lineup and Paige sticks her set,” Haberstock said, “and I’m just like, OK, well there’s no other option, I have to do good now.”
She certainly did well. Magel and Haberstock, epitomizing the family bond the team has, shared the national title. Next season, they want to spread that success with the rest of their family.
“I really want to do this as a team, bring home a trophy with the team,” Magel said.
Like a true family, gymnastics has bonded together and each gymnast has supported the other. Together, Magel and Haberstock share the coveted title of national champion.
