Hartland's Fundich Puts 'Fun' In Finals Championship Run, Ends Career No. 1
By
Brad Emons
Special for MHSAA.com
March 7, 2026
HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP – Hartland’s Alexis Fundich was on a mission during Saturday’s MHSAA Individual Finals at Milford High School.
The senior, who led the Eagles to their second-straight team championship just the night before, captured the Division 1 all-round with a score of 38.625 after placing runner-up a year ago.
Huron Valley United’s Stella Musialowski was second (36.60), with Farmington United’s Mikayla Dicks (37.25), Tecumseh’s Isabella Janiga (35.875) and Northville’s Michelle Walker (35.85) rounding out the top five.
“Mostly I just tried to have fun and not let the nerves take over, which happened, so it went well,” Fundich said. “I definitely was nervous, but I didn’t want to let it control me throughout the meet. I let fun control me instead.”
Fundich, who joined the Hartland team her sophomore year, captured three events including the balance beam (9.725), uneven bars (9.4) and floor exercise, while adding a second in the vault (9.8).
“I was really happy with my floor score,” Fundich said. “I broke the record for floor on my team, so I was really excited about that.”
Fundich hopes to continue her gymnastics career in college, but is undecided about her next destination.
“That’s my goal. I’m still figuring that out,” Fundich said.
Musialowski, competing on her home floor, also turned in a stellar performance to pass Dicks (37.25), who was competing at her first MHSAA Finals.
The Milford gymnast had finished sixth a year ago after taking 15th as a sophomore. This time, she placed runner-up on beam (9.625), tied for third on bars (9.15) and floor (9.425), and fourth on vault (9.4),
“I was just definitely trying to do my best today,” Musialowski said. “I wanted to finish off my last competition well, and I definitely think I did.
“Beam always clicks a little bit more than the others for me. It’s my favorite. I find it really peaceful to do.”
Musialowski, who plans to attend Michigan State and study nursing, also juggled gymnastics during the winter with competitive cheer.
“I helped out our cheer team, but other than that I’ve solely been doing gymnastics my whole life,” said Musialowski, who joined the Huron Valley team her sophomore year. “My freshman year I did cheer, and then I realized I liked gymnastics and came back.”
Musialowski said most likely her competitive gymnastics days are over.
“It’s been a long run – 15 years – I’m definitely starting to get tired of it, but I’m not fully certain on it yet,” she said.
Hartland’s Kate Gostlin was the other D1 individual victor with a 9.8 in the vault.
“They all went out there, they had a mission and took care of business,” Hartland coach Gavin Kress said. “It’s gymnastics, they’re always nervous. Today coming in strong. They came in knowing what they were doing.”
Meanwhile, the Division 2 all-around title went to Haslett United’s Phoebe Elder, who placed first with a total of 36.675.
She was able to hold off challenges by three Rockford competitors including Lillian Green (36.550), Rae DeFrang (36.025) and Reese DeFrang (35.900). Farmington United’s Aubrey Woodman took fifth (35.625).
Elder finished runner-up on bars (9.1), third on floor (9.425), fourth on the beam (9.1) and tied for sixth in the vault (9.05).
“Very surprised and very happy for sure,” said Elder, who will attend Northwestern University and study biology. “I stuck a vault, which I don’t think I have all season.”
Other individual D2 winners included Rockford’s Green in vault (9.625), Rae DeFrang on bars (9.125) and Kenzie Todd on beam (9.275). East Lansing Catholic DeWitt’s Taliyah Andrews won the floor exercise (9.555).
PHOTOS (Top) Hartland’s Alexis Fundich vaults during Saturday’s Individual Finals at Milford. (Middle) Fundich, left, and Huron Valley United’s Stella Musialowski hold hands for their salute from the podium. (Below) Haslett United’s Phoebe Elder, right, receives a hug after her bars routine. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Rockford Shows Skill Across Every Event in Reclaiming Team Title
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 11, 2022
WHITE LAKE – There was definitely a different routine for Rockford before the actual routines began for the 2022 MHSAA Team Gymnastics Final on Friday at Lakeland High School.
For the first time since 2014, Rockford didn’t play host to the event.
So instead of coming to its home gym and trying to help set everything up, the Rams instead went through a bus trip and the process of getting acclimated to a new environment.
But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“I think it helped,” Rockford senior Anna Tracey said. “It allowed us to have some team bonding before we got to the meet. We just talked to each other and had fun.”
Indeed, Rockford did just fine away from home, reclaiming the championship throne by edging Grand Ledge. The Rams had 143.825 points to Grand Ledge’s total of 143.500.
After finishing as Final runner-up in 2019 and 2021 (the 2020 meet was cancelled due to COVID-19), Rockford won its first title since claiming the last of three in a row in 2017.
“We always want it, and we always are hopeful for it,” Rockford head coach Michele Ankney said. “We knew we were in the running this year. We weren’t sure where we would line up in the end. Gymnastics is a fickle sport sometimes.”
Rockford was the only team to have at least one top-four finish in every event, starting off by scoring third in the floor exercise.
Following a fourth-place finish in the bars and a third-place finish on the vault, the Rams saved their best for their last event, finishing first on the beam.
Leading the way was junior Lacey Scheid, who had a 9.550 on the floor, a 9.400 on the vault, a 9.100 on the bars and a 9.525 on the beam.
Tracey had a 9.175 on the floor, an 8.975 on the vault, an 8.850 on the bars and a 9.525 on the beam to flank Scheid for Rockford.
“We started strong,” Ankney said. “Our floor and bars were solid. And then we had a few mistakes on bars and beam and we didn’t know what that was going to do to us. This is 100 percent surprise right here.”
Traditional power Grand Ledge was seeking its first title since winning the last of six in a row in 2013, and the Comets finished first in both the floor and vault.
But a seventh-place finish in the beam and a sixth-place finish on the bars proved to be Grand Ledge’s undoing.
“We normally score higher on bars and a lot higher on beam,” longtime Comets head coach Duane Haring said. “Just nerves. I guess I’d be nervous too. But they did really well. Second place is nothing to sneeze at.”
The highest Metro Detroit finisher was Livonia Red, which took third with 142.950 points.
Brighton was fourth at 141.000, while Salem rounded out the top five with 140.825 points.
PHOTOS Click to see more by HighSchoolSportsScene.com.