Gymnastics: Hudson’s Dunlap overcomes injury to qualify in all-around

• Raider junior Olivia Dunlap

Raider junior Olivia Dunlap, pictured competing on the uneven bars at the Hudson Invitational Jan. 26, will compete at the WIAA State Gymnastics Tournament this Friday in Wisconsin Rapids after qualifying in the all-around at last Saturday’s sectional meet in Chippewa Falls. Star-Observer file photo

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Raider junior Olivia Dunlap qualified for the WIAA State Gymnastics Tournament for the second straight year after finishing fifth in the all-around at last Saturday’s sectional meet in Chippewa Falls.

The Raiders finished fourth in the sectional team standings with a total score of 133.95. Eau Claire, who won with 141.475, and runner-up Chippewa Falls, with 137.375, both qualified for this Saturday’s state team competition.

Dunlap will compete at the state individual tournament Friday, March 1, beginning at 5:15 p.m. She finished 25th in the all-around at last year’s state meet with a score of 32.516.

Dunlap ruptured her Achilles tendon the first day of summer vacation last school year and returned to the Raider lineup on a limited basis in January. She recently returned to action full time and posted a score of 34.65 at last Saturday’s sectional meet to earn the fifth and final state qualifying spot.

Dunlap turned in a sixth place score of 8.65 on the balance beam and tied for sixth on the uneven bars with an 8.575 to just miss qualifying for state in those events. She also had scores of 8.825 in the vault (13th) and 8.6 in the floor exercise( 18th) to give her an all-around total of 34.65.

Hudson junior McKenna Daulton finished ninth in the all-around at the sectional meet with a score of 33.9 while freshman Gabby Hughes was 13th with 32.9.

Daulton posted team-high scores of 8.95 in the floor exercise and 8.875 in the vault to place 10th and 12th, respectively, while adding a 10th place score of 8.4 on the balance beam and an 18th place score of 7.675 on the uneven bars.

Hughes’ best finish came on the balance beam, where she finished 15th with a score of 8.275. She also placed 18th in the vault with 8.625, 20th in the floor exercise with 8.5, and 23rd on the uneven bars with 7.5.

Hudson’s best team score of the day came in the floor exercise, where in addition to Daulton, Dunlap and Hughes, senior Brooke Miller took 14th with an 8.8 and freshman Amira Tobasi placed 29th with 8.025.

Tobasi contributed scores of 7.75 on the balance beam and 7.475 on the uneven bars, and Miller had scores of 8.15 in the vault and 7.225 on the balance beam, while junior Maddy Rohde had a 7.95 in the vault and 7.675 on the uneven bars.

Tags: sports, gymnastics, raiders, prep