It won't be the last time you hear from this group of Winona State University gymnasts, but the Warriors displayed their budding talent in memorable fashion at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Division III Championships.
The Warriors, who qualified for the team portion of the national meet for the first time since 1994, produced three All-Americans after two days of competition last weekend at the State University of New York at Cortland.
WSU junior Alexandra Nugent and freshman Melissa Baudhuin earned first-team All-America honors, and junior Eileen Strube made the second team.
The trio finished in the top ten on the balance beam both days of competition. After taking three top-ten spots during the all-around and team finals Saturday, Nugent (9.675) tied for third and Baudhuin fifth (9.625) for first team All-American honors. Strube (9.55) finished eighth for second team All-American honors.
Nugent also earned first team All-American honors with a third-place finish on vault (9.65) and picked up second team All-American honors with an 11th-place finish on floor (9.15). She posted career-best scores on vault (9.6250), beam (9.6500) and floor (9.7250) to earn All-American honors in the all-around. Nugent tied for second in the all-around with a career-best 38.000 during the all-around and team finals Saturday.
A two-time qualifier at the national meet, Nugent had a breakthrough performance to earn All-American honors for the first time. It was also a banner weekend for the Warriors as a team that will return its entire roster intact next season.
The Warriors finished sixth of six in the team standings with a score of 185.6250.
Strube joined Nugent in the top-20 in the all-around results, finishing 18th with a 35.8750. Strube’s best score came on beam where she placed sixth with a 9.6250.
Nugent, Strube and Baudhuin gave the Warriors three individuals in the top 10 on beam, as Baudhuin finished in ninth with a 9.5500.
Tennis

No. 1 singles player Gage Davidson is picking up steam, but the Winona State University men’s tennis team is losing traction as the North Central Conference season winds to a close.
Davidson won at No. 1 singles for the third match in a row Sunday, but the Warriors went on to lose to 6-3 to St. Cloud State at St. T’s in Winona.
It was the seventh consecutive loss for WSU, which was playing its first match back from a three-week spring hiatus. With three regular season matches to play before the NCC Championships April 20, WSU (4-10, 3-6) hasn’t won in more than a month.
WSU sophomore Aaron Lentz won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 singles.
Zach Williams and Taylor Rens won 9-8 at No. 2 doubles.
The WSU women’s team made an impressive charge over the weekend, picking up three consecutive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference wins in two days.
WSU beat Minnesota-Crookston 9-0 on Friday, then defeated Southwest Minnesota State 6-3 and Mary (N.D.) 9-0 on Saturday in St. Cloud.
WSU junior Holly Peltier and sophomore Erika Richae each won matches 6-0, 6-0, at No. 5 and No. 6 singles in the Crookston shutout. The pair then teamed up to win 8-0 at No. 2 doubles.