WINNING VAULT — Martin County Area gymnast Sabrina Segar springs off the table to win the vault competition during a season-opening Big South Conference dual meet with New Ulm on Friday night at the Live Fit Sport & Wellness Center in Fairmont. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)

FAIRMONT — Martin County Area gymnasts Sabrina Segar and Anna Bachenberg christened the Magic’s new home — the Live Fit Sport & Wellness Center in Fairmont — by combining to capture first-place finishes in four of their season-opening dual meet’s five individual categories Friday night.

Unfortunately, New Ulm’s Kayla Goblirsch and Ella Freiderich countered by placing second (33.7) and fourth (33.325), respectively, in the all-around competition to help the Eagles squeeze by the Magic, 133.15-132.025.

“Honestly, I thought it (dual meet) was a good start to the season,” said Martin County Area head coach Beraiah Peterson. “Obviously, there are areas where we need to tweak and improve , but we’ll continue to improve with each practice and meet.

“Normally, this time of the year is when we’d be usually looking to peak, but with the delayed start to the competitive season, we’re still figuring things out.”

Segar and Bachenberg looked in midseason form on the vault by packing potent point production to garner first- and third-place accolades, respectively. Segar rotated and planted a Tsukahara for a gold-medal mark of 9.425, while Bachenberg nearly duplicated her teammate’s score by turning her Tsuk for a 9.275 total.

Ironically, Segar and Bachenberg placed in first and third, respectively, in the all-around competition by generating 34.375 and 33.55 points to pace the Magic’s overall performance.

Goblirsch pocketed runner-up vault honors with a 9.4, while Eagle teammate Anna Schwartz finished fourth off the table with an 8.75-scored vault.

Freiderich, however, spearheaded New Ulm’s efforts on the uneven parallel bars and floor exercise to pace the visitors’ scoring edge on both pieces of equipment over MCA, 31.825-29.175 and 35.225-34.975, respectively.

Freiderich, a sophomore, captured top honors on the uneven bars with an 8.05 total to edge Segar’s high-scoring ways at 8.0. Madison Miller (7.95) and Josie Sellner (7.925) added offensive firepower by netting third and fourth, respectively, on the unevens for New Ulm.

Bachenberg and Ellie Schultze delivered a 1-2 showing on the balance beam for the Magic, chalking up an 8.35 and an 8.275, respectively. Bachenberg hit a pivotal back handspring sequence to highlight her top mark, while Schultze utilized a front walkover, one-handed front walkover and a front aerial to give strength to her score.

Freiderich, who placed fourth on the beam (7.75) behind teammate Olivia Eckstein’s 7.95, collected runner-up honors to Segar on the floor exercise. Segar produced a winning effort of 9.475, while Freiderich settled for second with an 8.95.

Hailee Schuett supplied scoring punch for the Magic with a third-place showing of 8.9 on the floor, with the Eagles’ Eckstein finishing fourth at 8.8. Schuett placed fifth overall in the all-around competition for MCA with a score of 32.475.

Martin County Area (0-1) travels to St. James Area on Tuesday night for another Big South dual meet, while New Ulm (1-0) hits the road to Blue Earth Area on Tuesday night.

VARSITY MEET

New Ulm 133.15,

MCA 132.025

All-Around: 1. Sabrina Segar (MCA) 34.375; 2. Kayla Goblirsch (NU) 33.7; 3. Anna Bachenberg (MCA) 33.55; 4. Ella Freiderich (NU) 33.325; 5. Hailee Schuett (MCA) 32.475.

Vault: 1. Segar (MCA) 9.425; 2. Goblirsch (NU) 9.4; 3. Bachenberg (MCA) 9.275; 4. Anna Schwartz (NU) 8.75. Other MCA scores: Hannah Linse (MCA) 8.75; Ellie Hernes 8.65; Schuett 8.5.

Uneven Bars: 1. Freiderich (NU) 8.05; 2. Segar (MCA) 8.0; 3. Madison Miller (NU) 7.95; 4. Josie Sellner (NU) 7.925. Other MCA scores: Bachenberg 7.475; Schuett 7.4; Kara Osmundsen 6.3; Hernes 6.1.

Balance Beam: 1 Bachenberg (MCA) 8.35; 2. Ellie Schultze (MCA) 8.275; 3. Olivia Eckstein (NU) 7.95; 4. Freiderich (NU) 7.75. Other MCA scores: Schuett 7.675; Segar 7.475; Anna Utermarck 7.05.

Floor Exercise: 1. Segar (MCA) 9.475; 2. Freiderich (NU) 8.95; 3. Schuett (MCA) 8.9; 4. Eckstein (NU) 8.8. Other MCA scores: Bachenberg 8.45; Abi Chavez 8.15; Utermarck 7.95.

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Jr. Varsity Results

New Ulm 124.8;

MCA 118.25

All-Around: 1. Brooke Aschenbrenner (NU) 30.7; 2. Emily Hagen (MCA) 29.85; 3. Ava Thate (MCA) 29.35.

Vault: 1. (tie) Anna Utermarck (MCA) and Ellie Schultze (MCA) 8.65s; 3. Olivia Eckstein (NU) 8.6; 4. Laura Bertrang (NU) 8.55; 5. (tie) Aschenbrenner (NU), Thate (MCA) and Madison Miller (NU) 8.4s.

Other MCA scores: Abi Chavez 8.25; Kara Osmundsen 8.1; Nola Thedens 8.0; Emily Hagen 7.9; Sady Ringnell 7.8.

Unevens: 1. Emily Guggisberg (NU) 7.0; 2. Utermarck (MCA) 6.75; 3. Eckstein (NU) 6.7; 4. Aschenbrenner (NU) 6.6; 5. (tie) Thate (MCA) and Bertrang (NU) 6.2s.

Other MCA scores: Hagen 6.15; Chavez 5.2; Ringnell 4.2.

Beam: 1. Paige Kalis (NU) 7.9; 2. Kaylee Hutchinson (NU) 7.85; 3. Josie Sellner (NU) 7.8; 4. Aschenbrenner (NU) 7.55; 5. Emma Radloff (NU) 7.5.

MCA scores: Hagen 7.4; Thate 6.95; Ellie Hernes 6.9; Thedens 6.35; Chavez 6.3; Hannah Fischer 6.3; Osmundsen 6.0.

Floor: 1. Radloff (NU) 8.45; 2. (tie) Hagen (MCA) and Bertrang (NU) 8.4s; 4. Anna Schwartz (NU) 8.25; 5. Ringnell (MCA) 8.2.

Other MCA scores: Hernes 8.0; Thate 7.8; Thedens 7.4; Osmundsen 7.25.