BROCKPORT, N.Y. (Blugolds.com) – The UW-Eau Claire women's gymnastics team took fifth place at the 2012 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championship at the College at Brockport in New York today.
The fifth place finish is the Blugolds' best since the 2005 season when they took fourth. Last year they finished in sixth place at nationals.
Eau Claire finished with 183.700 points while UW-Whitewater and the College at Brockport shared the national title with 188.050. UW-La Crosse, last year's champion, took third with 187.200 and SUNY-Cortland was fourth with 185.550. Ithaca College (N.Y.) was sixth with 182.650 points.
Olivia Aschenbrenner (So.-Cedarburg, Wis./Grafton) and Danielle Schulzetenberg (Jr.-Maple Grove, Minn.) claimed All-American honors in the all-around competition as they both finished in the top 10. Aschenbrenner scored 36.875 points to tie for seventh while Schulzetenberg tied for ninth with 36.725. Aschenbrenner claimed All-American honors last season as well, while Schulzetenberg previously earned the honor in both 2010 and 2011.
Schulzetenberg had the Blugolds' best individual finish of the night as she tied for third in the floor exercise with a score of 9.600.
Saturday, the top 14 finishers (including ties) in each of the four events will compete in day two of the championships to determine the individual event winners and All-Americans.
In addition to Schulzetenberg competing in the floor exercise Saturday, Michaela McCamey (So.-Dayton, Ohio) will compete on the balance beam while Aschenbrenner will compete on the uneven bars. McCamey took ninth on the balance beam tonight with a career-best 9.575 while Aschenbrenner tied for 12th on the uneven bars with a score of 9.200, a half-point off a career-high.
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