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With one coach entering her 25th high school season and another entering her first, both Karen Kuhlmann and Kathy Zeles have the same goal — a trip to the WIAA state meet.
Kuhlmann, who coaches the Holmen gymnastics team, is relying on her team’s depth to help accomplish that goal.
“It was a growing year for us last year,” Kuhlmann said. “We didn’t have a lot of depth last year. This year we hope to have a lot more depth with what we’re bringing back and what we’re adding.”
The Vikings are bringing back all-arounders Marissa Daniels, Alyssa Southerland-Lasee and Briana Hornberg, while welcoming freshman Laurie Wanderski, Bryanna Hawes and Emily Madsen to the mix.
Daniels, a senior, who was injured most of last season, has shown tremendous growth according to Kuhlmann. With last year’s squad lacking depth, Kuhlmann said they often didn’t have a gymnast to cover another’s spot should an injury occur.
“The injury bug is always part of the equation, which is why you can never predict what the end of your season is going to be like. Sometimes you get reallylucky and end up intact.”
So far the Vikings have managed to stay in one piece, as has Kuhlmann, who says coaching is finally beginning to catch up with her.
“I’m getting old,” she said. “I’m starting to feel the physical pain of coaching. I still enjoy every minute in the gym and just love the sport and love working with the girls. There’s many more years left in me.”
The Onalaska gymnastics team has been showing tremendous growth according to first-year coach Kathy Zeles. Zeles, who was the Hilltoppers’ assistant coach last season, is a former UW-La Crosse gymnast.
Zeles’ team was about a point away from making it to state as a team last season, and she said that is one of her top priorities this season.
“I told the girls at our first meeting of the season that (state) is my biggest goal,” she said. “They improved more in those last two weeks of last season than the whole rest of the season combined. Being able to start there now in this season is really going to help us.”
Onalaska lost only one senior from last year’s squad, and is looking for strong all-around performances from senior Emily Mitzelfeldt, sophomore Samantha Lass and freshman Elaina Smaby.
“Elaina has a very nice bar routine that is really going to up our bar score,” Zeles said. “We have a lot of girls working on new stuff this year. It’s hard to say what will be our strongest event, but already we’ve improved starting values and bonus at almost every event.”
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