Thunderbirds Finish Fourth on Varsity, Win JV Title at McLellan Invite
HOLMEN, Wis. — Baraboo turned in a strong program-wide showing at the McLellan Invite on Saturday at Holmen High School, placing fourth in a tightly bunched varsity field while winning the junior varsity team title.
The Thunderbirds’ varsity squad totaled 129.700 points to finish fourth out of eight teams, less than 2 points out of second place. Southwestern Co-Op won the varsity title with a 135.700, followed by Sparta at 131.150 and Caledonia/Spring Grove/Houston at 131.025. Baraboo’s junior varsity group provided the day’s top highlight, capturing the JV team championship with a 117.500 — more than four points clear of Caledonia/Spring Grove/Houston (113.000).
Individually, Baraboo was led on the varsity side by all-arounder Zeva Valley, who posted a 34.025 to place among the meet’s top performers. Valley’s total put her in a select group that included all-around champion Gabrielle Bjorkman of Sparta, who scored 36.900, and a trio of Southwestern Co-Op standouts. Valley’s performance helped anchor Baraboo’s consistency across all four events as the Thunderbirds stayed within striking distance of the podium throughout the meet.
On vault, Baraboo’s varsity lineup delivered one of its steadiest rotations, combining for a 33.200. That effort kept the Thunderbirds in the mix with the meet’s front-runners, as only Sparta (34.000) and Southwestern Co-Op (33.950) outscored them on the event. The Thunderbirds backed that up on floor with a 33.825, again placing close to the top of the pack behind the powerful sets from Southwestern Co-Op and Caledonia/Spring Grove/Houston.
Bars and beam also proved to be productive events for Baraboo’s varsity. The Thunderbirds earned 30.050 on bars and 32.625 on beam, totals that helped secure their grip on fourth place ahead of Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln (129.200). Baraboo competed with depth and balance throughout the lineup rather than relying on a single high score.
The Thunderbirds were at their best in JV competition, where they posted the meet’s top totals on both vault and beam. Baraboo’s JV recorded a 32.600 on vault and a 29.550 on beam, establishing early separation in the team race. The JV squad added a 29.650 on floor and 25.700 on bars to pull away from the field, outscoring the Warriors’ JV (113.000) and Sparta’s JV (60.200) for the team title.
Fiona Miller placed 2nd in the JV all-around competition with a 27.65. Baraboo’s depth across its JV lineup proved decisive. With both varsity and JV groups placing in the top four of their divisions — and the JV claiming a meet championship — the Thunderbirds built momentum as the season moves into its midwinter stretch and toward conference and postseason competition.
