DeKALB, Ill. (Feb. 25) – Maddy Murphy earned a pair of 9.8 scores and fellow freshman Claudia Lessig produced another solid all-around effort to lead the Alaska Anchorage gymnastics team to third place with a 191.200 team total at the Northern Illinois quad meet Sunday at the Convocation Center.

The Seawolves got a 38.625 all-around from Lessig as they finished behind host Northern Illinois (195.800) and Illinois State (194.350), while defeating Wisconsin-Eau Claire (190.550).

UAA was at its best on floor exercise, matching the sixth-best total in program history and the best since 2018 at 48.850. Junior Montana Fairbairn led a parade of career highs on the apparatus with a 9.825, along with Murphy's 9.8 and 9.75s from Madelyn Gomez and Hayley Perkins. Senior Silje Hildebrand rounded out the five counting scores with a 9.725.

The Seawolves also continued their recent strong efforts on vault, with Murphy's career-best 9.8 leading the way. Fairbairn tallied a 9.7 and UAA got 9.55s from Lessig and senior Brooklyn Kopsack on the way to their second-best total of the season at 48.125.

"We put together some great routines to start the meet, and we are really starting to show our potential on vault and floor," said UAA head coach Marie-Sophie Boggasch. "Our challenge for the final three meets will be to show more consistency on all four events, and I'm confident our athletes can come through."

Lessig paced UAA on balance beam with a 9.725, while freshman Jada Niles (9.625) and Breeann Spain (9.5) tallied career highs. Fairbairn assisted the 47.675 total with a 9.6 as well.

Niles had the Seawolves' top score on uneven bars with a 9.7, and Lessig earned a 9.65.

The victory over Wisconsin-Eau Claire pushed UAA's dual-meet wins total to eight for the season – just one behind the school record of nine from 1985 and 2004.

The Seawolves are off next week before concluding the regular season Mar. 8 and 10 and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rivals UC Davis and Sacramento State.