Milbank Gymnasts Top The Field At Opening Meet

The Milbank gymnasts earned high marks and were rewarded with top places at the opening meet of the high school gymnastics season Monday, November 28, in Sisseton.

“The girls were a bit nervous in this first meet, but it was great to see the excitement that they showed,” expressed Bulldog head coach Amber Fraasch.
The locals started out the meet strong on the floor exercise with all seven gymnasts scoring between a 7.75 and an 8.55. “This shows the depth of this year’s team,” Coach Fraasch noted. Sophomore Mackenzie Weinkauf led the event with an 8.55 and a second place finish. Senior Brooke Fraasch tied for fifth on the event with an 8.15.

Junior Emily Dornbusch captured first place on the balance beam with a no-fall routine and a score of 8.45. “Emily’s score beat the state qualifying standard of 8.3,” Coach Fraasch explained. “She will have the opportunity to meet that mark again two more times in order qualify for the state meet at the end of the season.” Junior Jodi DeVaal placed fifth with a 6.75, and eighth grader Greta Snaza finished in sixth with a 6.7. Coach Fraasch also noted that the squad struggled on the beam and were forced to count too many falls.

The team then moved on to the uneven parallel bars where B. Fraasch captured second place with a 7.15. Weinkauf also placed fifth on the event with a 6.9.

In the Lady Bulldogs’ final event, the vault, Weinkauf scored an 8.6 to finish first in the event. Her score also was the first in meeting the state qualifying mark for the season. Other place finishers for Milbank were B. Fraasch, third with a 8.3; freshman Maddie Gustafson, fourth with a 8.2; DeVaal, seventh with a 8.1, and Dornbusch, eighth with an 8.0.

In the all-around competition, B. Fraasch and Weinkauf tied for third place with a score of 29.95. Dornbusch placed fifth with a 28.95 while DeVaal was sixth with a 28.30 and Gustafson, eighth with a 27.65.

The Lady Bulldogs finished second overall in the team standings with a score of 119.55. “Although our team score was not where we wanted to start the season, we now have a starting point and are ready to move forward,” Coach Fraasch stated. Watertown was first with a 122.50, and Sisseton, third, with a 113.50.

Other locals competing for Milbank in the event were Christina Lusk and Tori Hooth.

Filling out the varsity roster for the Lady Bulldogs are sophomores Ashley Spors and freshmen Jalyn Engel and Danica Schulte. Middle school gymnasts include eighth graders Marly Leddy, Heidi Meyer, Sydney Spanton and Peyten Wiese, and seventh graders Corylee Fischer, Madison Mathews, Jocalynn McFarland, Isabelle Nowick, Shaylee Pekelder, Kaylee Reil and Dani Yamaura.
Student managers for the team are senior Jamie DeVaal and sophomore Mya Johanson.

The Lady Bulldogs will have several opportunities to qualify for the state meet which is slated for February 10-11 in Aberdeen. To qualify for the state meet, gymnasts may meet a qualifying standard three times throughout the regular season and qualify early to the state event. The qualifying standards for each event are as follows: All-around, 32.0; vault and floor, 8.6; beam and bars, 8.3.

Pictured are seniors Brooke Fraasch and Jamie DeVaal.

Following is the complete schedule for the 2016-2017 season:

11/28/2016 Tri Sisseton Sisseton 6:30 p.m.
12/10/2016 Hub City Invitational Milbank 12:00 p.m.
12/13/2016 Christmas Invitational Britton 6:00 p.m.
12/16/2016 Milbank JV Invitational Milbank 5:30 p.m.
12/17/2016 Lewis Family Drug Invitational Milbank 11:00 a.m.
12/29/2016 Winter Wonderland Vermillion 11:00 a.m.
1/6/2017 Sisseton Middle School Invitational Sisseton 4:30 p.m.
1/7/2017 Sisseton Invitational Sisseton 11:00 a.m.
1/9/2017 Milbank Middle School Invitational Milbank 4:30 p.m.
1/10/2017 Hendricks-RTR Dual Hendricks 6:00 p.m.
1/13/2017 Madison Invitational Madison 6:00 p.m.
1/14/2017 Madison Invitational Madison 12:00 p.m.
1/16/2017 Middle School Invitational Britton 4:30 p.m.
1/19/2017 Duel Invitational Clear Lake 6:00 p.m.
1/21/2017 Watertown Invitational Watertown 12:00 p.m.
1/28/2017 Duel Invitational Clear Lake 12:00 p.m.
2/2/2017 Region / NEC Clear Lake 6:00 p.m.
2/10/2017 State Meet Aberdeen TBA
2/11/2017 State Meet Aberdeen TBA