The UW-Whitewater gymnastics team relied on depth, composure and all-around consistency to defeat UW-Stout 192.925-188.175 in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference dual meet Feb. 14.
The Warhawks controlled the meet from the opening rotation and finished strong, posting team scores of 47.925 on vault, 48.300 on uneven bars, 48.100 on balance beam and 48.600 on floor exercise.
Whitewater opened on vault with steady landings throughout the lineup. Freshman Siena Vavala led the rotation with a 9.650, while sophomore Sofia Spadafora and freshman Juliette Rider each added 9.600. Junior Paige Magel contributed a 9.575 as the Warhawks built an early advantage over the Blue Devils, who scored 47.200 on the event.
The Warhawks extended their lead on uneven bars. Magel recorded the highest score of the meet on bars with a 9.775. Junior Elaine Copeland followed with a 9.700, and sophomore Jane Heffernan added a 9.650, helping Whitewater create separation midway through the competition.
The balance beam proved to be another steady rotation for the Warhawks. The team posted a 48.100 behind matching 9.700 scores from Magel and senior Ashnaya Gupta, along with a 9.650 from Spadafora.
Spadafora said her confidence on beam comes from repetition in practice.
“We put so many numbers in during practice,” she said. “I just remind myself to stay calm and stay confident because I know I can hit a really good routine.”
(Charlie Clark)
Her dismount is both her favorite and strongest element.
“I love nailing it at the end of a beam routine and everyone just going crazy,” Spadafora said. “It’s like the best feeling in the world.”
If a routine does not go perfectly, she keeps her approach simple.
“I just remind myself to take a breath,” she said. “It’s really not that serious. I take a deep breath and get my head back into my own space.”
Whitewater closed the meet with its strongest event total of the night, scoring 48.600 on floor. Rider posted the team’s top individual score with a 9.800. Magel followed with a 9.750, while sophomore Maliyah Pound and Copeland each scored 9.725 to secure the victory.
Magel competed in all four events and finished as the team’s top performer. Doing that at the collegiate level requires both physical endurance and mental discipline.
“Between events I fully reset,” Magel said. “It’s like square one, first event again.”
She said her approach is rooted in team responsibility as much as individual focus.
“When I’m competing, I’m doing it all for them,” Magel said. “Everything I do, I want to succeed so they succeed.”
That mindset is reinforced by trust within the lineup.
“When I get up on the beam or bars, my teammates know I’m going to hit, and that mentally helps me a lot,” Magel said. “My team believes in me, so I can do it for them.”
Stout remained competitive throughout the meet. Stout freshman Julia Rhoades recorded a 9.750 on the beam, and sophomore Jamie Beatty posted a 9.675 on floor. The Blue Devils finished with team scores of 47.200 on vault, 46.400 on bars, 47.475 on beam and 47.100 on floor.
Whitewater’s balance across all four rotations proved decisive. With consistent execution and a strong finish on the floor, the Warhawks secured the 4.750-point victory, continuing to build momentum as the season progresses.
