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Melrose topped the six-team meet again, breaking their record for team score. They scored 146.55 on Saturday, breaking their team mark from last year by 0.3 points.

Paynesville finished fifth out of six teams, with ninth grader Kacy Nehowig earning All Conference honors for the third straight year. Seventh grader Anna Kotten topped 30 in the all around and earned honorable mention honors.

As a team, the Bulldogs scored 115.2 and finished just three-tenths of a point behind fourth-place New London-Spicer. "We hit 115 for the second meet in a row," said coach Deb Nehowig. "Our goal will be 116 for sections. That would be a season high for us. We didn't reach that last year, so that'll be a little incentive for the girls on Saturday."

Ninth grader Kacy Nehowig completes a flip during her floor exercise routine at the conference gymnastics meet as PAHS on Saturday. Nehowig placed fifth on the vault, sixth on the bars, and ninth in the all around. She earned All Conference honrs for the third straight year in gymnastics. In 11 varsity sports so far in her career, Nehowig has earned All Conference honors 11 times.

Paynesville finished fourth as a team on the vault and the balance beam and fifth on the bars and floor. Melrose finished first as a team on each apparatus and took the top three individual spots in all four events, too. On the vault and beam, they took the top four spots.

The same teams will compete on Saturday, Feb. 21, in the section meet, and only the top four in each event will qualify for state.

Paynesville's best hope to qualify for state is Kacy Nehowig, who finished fifth in the vault (8.825), sixth on the bars (8.5), and ninth in the all around (32.575) on Saturday. On the vault, she missed placing in the top four by 0.225 points, and on the bars, where she added a giant to her routine on Saturday, she missed by 0.4 points.

Kotten placed 15th in the all around, scoring 30.075. Her best finish in an individual event was 16th on the floor exercise (8.2). She also placed 18th on the bars (7.175) and 19th on the balance beam (6.6).

The only other Paynesville gymnasts to place in the top 20 of an individual event were junior Ashley Spanier (15th on the vault with a 8.35), ninth grader Brittney Spanier (20th on the vault with a 8.15), and ninth grader Celia Frieler (20th on the balance beam with a 6.35).

This week, the Bulldogs will compete in the section meet at LPGE on Saturday.

Team Scores
1. Melrose 146.55
2. Benson/KMS 134.025
3. Prairie Centre Area 127.0
4. New London-Spicer 115.5
5. Paynesville 115.2
6. Morris Area 108.55

Individual Results
Vault: Kacy Nehowig (5) 8.825; Ashley Spanier (15) 8.35; Brittney Spanier (20) 8.15; Anna Kotten (22) 8.1; Abby Lindeman 7.575; TOTAL: Pay - 33.425 (4);

Uneven bars: Nehowig (6) 8.5; Kotten (18) 7.175; Brittney Spanier (23) 5.15; Lindeman (25) 4.9; Celia Frieler 3.7; TOTAL: Pay - 25.725 (5) ;

Balance beam: Nehowig (16) 6.85; Kotten (19) 6.6; Frieler (20) 6.35; Christine Spanier (23) 5.75; Lindeman 4.3; TOTAL: Pay - 25.55 (4);

Floor: Nehowig (15) 8.4; Kotten (16) 8.2; Ashley Spanier (22) 7.4; Katie Nelson (26) 6.5; Frieler 5.95; TOTAL: Pay - 30.5 (5);

All around: Nehowig (9) 32.575; Kotten (15) 30.075.

Litchfield 125.3, Paynesville 115.925
The Dogs lost a nonconference meet to Litchfield on Tuesday, Feb. 10, falling short 125.3-115.925 despite scoring a season high.

Eigth grader Christine Spanier leaps from the balance beam during her routine on Saturday. She placed 23rd with a score of 5.75.

The Bulldogs were close to the Dragons on the vault and floor, but lost on the beam by six points and by two and a half points on the bars.

"I was very pleased with our floor and vault," said coach Deb Nehowig. "The girls did extremely well, scoring season highs."

Nehowig noted that ninth grader Brittney Spanier and junior Ashley Spanier have started doing handspring vaults, which have a higher point value, improving their scores. Brittney Spanier placed fifth on the vault against Litch.

Ninth grader Kacy Nehowig placed first on the bars and beam and placed second on the floor and the all around.

Seventh grader Anna Kotten placed fourth on the bars and floor and fourth in the all around. She was also Paynesville's high scorer on the beam, though even she did not place in the top five. It was her first no-fall routine on the beam this year and helped her top 30 in the all around for the first time.

Litchfield--	125.3
Paynesville--	115.925

Individual Results
Vault: Nehowig (1) 8.85; Brittney Spanier (5) 8.4; Ashley Spanier 8.35; Anna Kotten 8.3; Abby Lindeman 7.4; TOTAL: Pay - 33.9; Lit - 34.1;

Uneven bars: Nehowig (1) 8.0; Kotten (4) 7.2; Brittney Spanier 5.35; Lindeman 4.85; Cassey Lund 3.1; TOTAL: Pay - 25.4; Lit - 27.95;

Balance beam: Kotten 7.2; Nehowig 6.65; Christine Spanier 5.85; Frieler 5.7; Lund 4.8; TOTAL: Pay - 25.4; Lit - 31.075;

Floor: Nehowig (2) 8.5; Kotten (4) 8.15; Ashley Spanier 7.65; Katie Nelson 6.925; Frieler 6.65; TOTAL: Pay - 31.225; Lit - 32.175;

All around: Nehowig (2) 32.0; Kotten (4) 30.85.