Solon's Fiorilli Part of Championship with UW-Whitewater Gymnastics

From UW-Whitewater: Katie Fiorilli, a native of Solon, OH, and graduate of Solon High School, is a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnastics team, which won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference/National Collegiate Gymnastics Association West Regional championships and will compete this Friday and Saturday at the NCGA National Championships at UW-Stout in Menomonie, Wis.

Friday's team and all-around competition is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., while Saturday's individual event competition is slated for a 4 p.m. start.

The Warhawks, who won their fifth WIAC/NCGA West Regional championship since 2010 back on March 17, look to hoist their first national title trophy since completing a three-peat in 2014.

Last season, UW-Whitewater tallied its 10th straight top-five finish at the meet, placing third with a score of 192.925.

The Warhawks finished the regular season with an 8-3 record, including two losses against Division II programs. The team fell by four-tenths of a point at defending national champion UW-La Crosse on Feb. 24 before besting the Eagles at the WIAC/NCGA West Regional meet by more than two points.

UW-Whitewater has recorded a team score of at least 191 in each of its last five meets, including a season-high 192.600 at Division II Lindenwood (Mo.) on March 5.

Other team qualifiers from the West Region include UW-La Crosse and UW-Stout. East Region qualifiers include SUNY Brockport (N.Y.), Ursinus (Pa.) and Springfield (Mass.).

Eight Warhawks qualified for a combined 15 events for Saturday's Individual Event Finals.

Sophomore Lisa O'Donnell (Berwyn, Ill./Morton West) qualified in all four events to lead UW-Whitewater. She earned a spot in the vault finals by winning the WIAC/NCGA West Regional title in the event and claimed her place in both the uneven parallel bars and the floor exercise with regional runner-up finishes. O'Donnell qualified for the balance beam with the second-highest season average score of non-regional qualifiers.

Seniors Courtney Pickett (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood), Mackenzie Smith (Milwaukee, Wis./Martin Luther), juniors McKenzie Foster (Manitou Beach, Mich./Addison) and Kate Mierow (Brookfield, Wis./Central) qualified in two events apiece.

Pickett will compete in the in the floor exercise after capturing the individual championship in the event at the WIAC/NCGA West Regional. She owned the fourth-highest SAS of non-regional placers to pick up a spot in beam.

Smith reached the bars finals thanks to the nation's top SAS in the event and tied for second place at the regional meet to qualify on beam. Foster and Mierow will join Smith and O'Donnell on bars after each placing among the top five at the WIAC/NCGA Regional.

Foster will also compete on beam with the third-highest SAS of non-regional placers. Mierow is slated to compete on floor after placing third in the region.

Senior Katie Fiorilli (Solon, Ohio/Solon) will seek her fourth All-America honor on vault after qualifying with the No. 1 SAS of non-regional placers. Junior Chloe Rehberg (Cary, Ill./Cary-Grove) joins O'Donnell and Fiorilli on vault after tying for fourth in SAS among non-regional placers.

Sophomore Franchesca Hutton (Shakopee, Minn./Main Street School of Performing Arts) is the Warhawks' fifth qualifier on beam, tying Smith for second place at the regional meet.

Top six finishers in each individual event Saturday will garner first team NCGA All-America accolades. Gymnasts who finish between seventh and 12th will earn second team All-America honors.

For more than 140 years, UW-Whitewater has provided students with the education and training to begin their careers with a solid foundation behind them. The UW-Whitewater is committed to the development of the individual, the growth of personal and professional integrity and respect for diversity and global perspectives. These are met by providing academic and co-curricular programs that emphasize the pursuit of knowledge and understanding and a commitment to service within a safe and secure environment.

Photo courtesy of UW-Whitewater (The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnastics team claimed its fifth WIAC/NCGA West Regional championship since 2010 back on March )