Winona, Minn. -- The UW-Whitewater gymnastics team finished second at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships/National Collegiate Gymnastics Association West Regional Saturday evening. The Warhawks' runner-up finish qualifies them for the NCGA Championships set for Friday, March 20 in Cortland, New York. 

UW-Whitewater accumulated the fourth-highest team total in program history with a 193.825 Saturday behind four top three individual finishes. Paige Magel (Cary, Ill./Prairie Ridge) claimed the all-around crown with a total of 38.550. She is the seventh Warhawk to earn the all-around title at the league championship in program history. Elaine Copeland (Arlington, Texas/University Prep) was also golden Saturday with a phenomenal 9.8 on the uneven bars. The title is the sixth for UW-Whitewater although Copeland is just the third Warhawk to secure gold (Justine Weyer and Allyse Dieringer combined for five titles on the bars). The floor exercise saw a pair of Warhawks share silver as Jane Heffernan (Galway, Ireland/Jesus & Mary Secondary School) and Siena Vavala (Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada/King City Secondary School) each scored 9.775.

UW-Whitewater opened Saturday on the balance beam. Behind multiple season bests, the Warhawks recorded the fourth-best team total in program history on the apparatus - 48.500. Ashnaya Gupta (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) and Kristen Swiebocki (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) led the way with 9.75s. Heffernan added a 9.725 while Magel posted a 9.65. Sofia Spadafora (Windsor, Ontario, Canada/Saint Thomas of Villanova) rounded out the scoring crew with a 9.625. 

The Warhawks shined on the floor in the second rotation bolstered by Heffernan and Vavala's second place finish. Danielle Dudziak (Lorain, Ohio/Amherst Steele) and Copeland joined their teammates on the podium with a share of fifth after posting matching 9.75s. Magel added a 9.65 as UWW combined for a 48.700 in the event -- a top ten team total in UW-Whitewater history. 

UWW added another top ten mark on the vault in the third rotation with a team score of 48.300. Vavala led the way with a 9.7 -- good for a tie for sixth. Copeland (9.675), Magel (9.65) and Maliyah Pound (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) (9.65) rounded out the scoring five. 

The Warhawks capped the meet on the uneven bars with Copeland's gold highlighting the event. Heffernan posted a 9.725 to secure fourth while Brianna Balian (Peoria, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) shared eighth with a 9.65. Magel posted a 9.6 with Caroline Saenz (Houston, Texas/Cy-Fair) and Ariana Goodwin (Elgin, Ill./The Einstein Academy) each scoring 9.55. UWW's 48.325 on the apparatus is tied for 11th in the program record book. 

Following the meet, the WIAC announced its major award winners. UWW freshman Juliette Rider (San Antonio, Texas/Acellus Academy) was the league's selection for WIAC Newcomer of the Year. She is the first Warhawk to earn the honor since its inception in 2022. Gaby Hinkle (Dewitt, Mich./Grand Ledge) respresented UW-Whitewater on the WIAC's All-Sportsmanship Team.