Lady Bulldogs Head for State Gymnastics Meet this Weekend

The Milbank Lady Bulldogs will shoot for the stars in hopes of securing high places at the State Class A gymnastics meet Friday and Saturday, February 14 -15, at Central High School in Aberdeen.

The team competition kicks off Friday morning at 11 a.m. Milbank starts the meet on the balance beam. “Beam will set the tone for our team,” stated the Lady Bulldogs’ head coach, Amber Fraasch. “We need to hit all our routines to give us momentum for the rest of the competition.”

Milbank will wrap up the first day of the competition on the uneven parallel bars. “Bars is another event that could make or break us,” added Coach Fraasch. “If we hit all our routines like we are capable of all day long, we will be right in the hunt with the top two, three, and four teams in the state.” Using their region team scores, Milbank currently sits in fifth place. Deuel, Madison, Estelline/Hendricks, and Parkston/Ethan/Hanson/Mt. Vernon are the teams Milbank hopes to outscore.

“We have not seen Parkston this year,” noted Fraasch. “With the Madison meet cancelled because of the weather, we did not see many of the Region 2 teams like we normally would have.”

Individual competition is slated for Saturday beginning at 10:30 a.m. All eight of Milbank’s individual gymnasts have qualified. “It is great to have all eight of our girls competing individually,” said Fraasch. “I think it’s the most we’ve had earn a spot in the state meet.”

Last year, Milbank had four girls place in the top 15 individually. “Our goal this year is to have that many or more place in the top 15,” said Fraasch. “Again, if the girls hit their routines, we can accomplish that.”

Gymnasts who will compete individually and their events include: Maddie Gustafson (all-around, vault, bars, beam, floor), Tori Hooth (vault, floor), Greta Snaza (all-around, vault, bars, beam, floor), Madison Mathews (bars, floor), Dani Yamaura (all-around, vault, bars, beam, floor), Laney Forrette (vault, floor), Rylie Overby (vault, beam), and Aubrey Fraasch (bars).