Austin Packers gymnastics team fourth at Sweetheart Invitational Saturday

The Austin Packers gymnastics team competed in the 7-team Sweetheart Invitational hosted by Jackson County Central in Jackson Saturday, and it was the Packers earning a 4th place finish with a team total of 133.850.  New Prague took first in the team competition with 145.425 points, followed by Worthington in second place with 141.500 points, then came Luverne in third with a team total of 134.425, followed by Austin with the host Huskies taking fifth with 132.675 points, followed by Redwood Valley in seventh with 129.825 points and Martin County Area in seventh with 127.250 team points.

Top finishers for Austin included Kiki Rodriguez, who was 12th in the all-around with a score of 33.625, and teammates Hannah Fritz and Katelynn Klouse were right behind in 13th and 14th place, respectively, with total scores of 33.150 and 33.075.  Rodriguez was the top finisher for Austin in the vault as she was 7th with a score of 9.050, and Fritz was 12th with a score of 8.800.  Rodriguez earned a 6th place finish on the uneven bars with a score of 8.500, Fritz was 11th with a score of 8.150 and Klouse took 12th with a final score of 8.125.  Emily Klapperich was the top finisher for the Packers on the balance beam with a score of 8.70, which was good for 8th place, and on the floor exercise, Rodriguez was 4th for Austin with a score of 9.275, and Reese Norton took 12th with a final score of 9.050.

The Packers return to action Friday night at home at the YMCA versus Faribault in a Big 9 Conference dual meet, with the action scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. that evening.