New Ulm’s Turner Gymnastics Academy (TGA) finished their competitive season by sending their four competitive teams to the Midwest Amateur Gymnastics Association (MAGA) Divisional Championships held in Rochester, Minnesota, on the weekend of Feb. 26-March 1, 2026. There were also 22 gymnasts from TGA that qualified to compete in the individual competition that same weekend.

All MAGA teams competing at the championships are divided into divisions according to their average team score during regular season. Each division has eight teams competing against each other. The individual competitors are divided according to their age. The Novice age group includes gymnasts 9 years old and under; Child age group is 10-11 years old. Junior age group are gymnasts 12-13 years and the Senior age group are gymnasts 14 years and older. Gymnasts qualify for the individual portion of the championship by having the top scores in their age category for All-Around or for each event. (Top 24 AA Athletes + Top 24 athletes of each Event once AA has been determined). All-Around gymnasts compete on all four events: vault, bars, beam and floor.

Team White competed in Division 13 placing sixth. Team Silver placed fourth in Division 10. Team Purple was part of Division 5 and placed seventh. Team Black qualified for Division 2, placed third.

Novice age division qualifiers for vault included Rylee Anderson, Lenox Ramos, Kate Beranek, Blakely Thorson, Annabelle Taralson, Taytum Altermatt and Suttyn Plotz. Placing on the vault even in the Novice division were Mia Bowen with a score of 8.075 in eighth and Kya Schwab in fourth place with a score of 8.2. Qualifying for beam were gymnasts Kate Beranek and Blakely Thorson. Placing on Beam for TGA in fourth was Mia Bowen scoring an 8.1, second place was Annabelle Taralson with an 8.325 and winning first place on the beam was Kya Schwab with score of 8.625. Floor exercise qualifiers included Lenox Ramos and Mia Bowen. Placing seventh on floor was Kya Schwab (score of 8.2).

Photo courtesy of Foresee Studios, LLC TGA Team Silver Photo. Sitting (l-r): Kaylee Rose, Annabelle Taralson. Standing (l-r): Kate Beranek, Raylyn Boelter, Blakely Thorson, Mariah Hagberg, Zoey Hanson, Kodi Kelley, Haley Scherer, Lenox Ramos.

There were three gymnasts that competed in All-Around for TGA at the Novice age group; Kaylee Rose, Nora Bauer and placing third with an all-around score of 31.775 was Kya Schwab.

In the Child age group, vault qualifiers included Ava Lang, Natalie Bauer and Lexi Lutz. The lone bars competitor for the child age group was Elle Wald, placing 11th with a score of 7.675. Ava Lang qualified for individual beam and floor events. Joining her on the floor exercises were teammates Natalie Bauer, Ellianna Garza and Linnea Gunderson, who finished in fifth place with a score of 8.65. Gunderson competed for All-Around, finishing ninth with a score of 32.175.

The Junior Age group finished the weekend with their individual championship. In the Vault event, qualifiers for TGA included Natalia Wald, Kiyanna Yost and Kenlee Wendinger. Two gymnasts placed for the bars event; Natalia Wald in ninth with a score of 7.975 and with a score of 8.05 was Hailey Altermatt in ninth place. Qualifying for beam was Kenlee Wendinger. Adaline Schaefer placed third on beam with a personal best score of 8.9.

The All-Around gymnasts for Junior age group were Hailey Altermatt finishing with a score of 33.075 and placing 12th with a score of 33.25 was Adaline Schaefer.

TGA is coached by Kortney Peterson, Alyssa Sellner, Laura Berg-Olson, Kristine Wald, Livie Eckstein and Olivia Bovee.

Photo courtesy of Foresee Studios, LLC TGA Team Purple Photo. Left to right: Jonesy Bawden, Ellianna Garza, Bea Helget, Natalie Bauer, Lexi Lutz, Brielle Neubauer, Kyla Huebner, Nora Bauer, Ava Lang, Bella Arndt.

Photo courtesy of Foresee Studios, LLC TGA Team Black Photo. Sitting (l-r): Natalia Wald, Hailey Altermatt. Standing (l-r): Linnea Gunderson, Kenlee Wendinger, Adaline Schaefer, Kya Schwab, Hope Rockvam, Elle Wald, Charley Nosbush, Kiyanna Yost.