Milbank Gymnasts Win Awards

The Milbank High School gymnastics team concluded its season with an awards potluck March 7. Varsity gymnasts selected three award winners by vote. Sophomore Mackenzie Weinkauf was named the most dedicated gymnast. Junior Jodi DeVaal was chosen as the hardest worker, and Christina Lusk was named the most improved.

Three other awards were selected by the coaching staff. Senior Jamie DeVaal and Weinkauf earned the Coaches Award for their commitment to the program. Eighth-grader Greta Snaza and seventh-grader Dani Yamaura were each named Rookie of the Year.

Senior awards went to Jamie DeVaal and Brooke Fraasch. DeVaal has been a student manager for six years. “Her contribution to the team will be hard to replace,” said head coach Amber Fraasch. B. Fraasch has been on the team for six years and has competed at the varsity level since eighth grade. “She has been one of our highest scoring and most consistent gymnasts for the last three years,” said her mother, Coach Fraasch. “Her all-around score will be missed next year.” B. Fraasch was also named to the Academic All-State team for her achievements in the classroom.

Weinkauf and B. Fraasch also earned awards for their season points and scores. Weinkauf was the most valuable gymnast on vault, beam, and floor. She also scored the most points of the season for the Lady Bulldogs with 415.325 points. She had the team’s highest vault score with an 8.9, highest beam score with an 8.6, highest floor score with an 8.95, and highest all-around score with a 33.25. B. Fraasch was named the most valuable on the uneven parallel bars and had the team’s highest score with a 8.05.

All varsity gymnasts scored multiple personal best scores throughout the season. “We had one of our more consistent seasons resulting in less fluctuations in our team score,” Coach Fraasch stated. “This showed the depth of our team.”

The junior varsity team finished the season with three JV event total records and the second, third, and fourth highest JV team scores on record. The team finished with a 17-1 record. “The success of the JV team shows the depth of the Milbank gymnastics team,” said Coach Fraasch.

Awards were given to the junior varsity and junior high athletes. In the junior varsity division, Greta Snaza had the highest all-around score with a 29.65 and the highest vault score with a 8.25. Dani Yamaura tied with Snaza with the highest all-around score and had the highest bar score with a 7.35. She also scored the highest beam score with an 8.0. Danica Schulte earned the highest floor score with an 8.7. Joci McFarland earned the most points of the season in all-around, vault, and bars. Madison Mathews earned the most points on beam and floor.

Snaza earned several awards in the eighth grade division. She had the highest all-around score with a 34.75, highest vault score at 8.45, highest bar score with a 9.35, highest beam score with a 8.1, and highest floor score at 9.1. She also earned the most points during the season on vault, bars, and all-around. Eighth-grader, Peyten Wiese, earned the most points of the season on beam and floor.

In the seventh grade group, Joci McFarland had the highest all-around score with a 35.20. Madison Mathews earned the highest vault score with a 8.55 and highest bar score with a 8.5. Isabelle Nowick had the highest beam score with a 9.8 and highest floor score with a 9.3. She also earned the most points of the season on all four events and in the all-around competition.

Earning a Major M varsity letter were seniors Jamie DeVaal and Brooke Fraasch; juniors Jodi DeVaal, Emily Dornbusch, and Christina Lusk; sophomore Mackenzie Weinkauf; freshmen Maddie Gustafson and Tori Hooth; eighth-grader Greta Snaza; and seventh-grader Dani Yamaura.

Awarded a junior varsity M were: sophomores Mya Johanson (student manager) and Ashley Spors; freshmen Jalyn Engel and Danica Schulte; eighth-grader Peyten Wiese; and seventh-graders Madison Mathews, Joci McFarland, and Isabelle Nowick.

Earning a junior high M were: eighth-grader Marly Leddy and seventh-graders Corylee Fischer, Shaylee Pekelder, and Kaylee Reil.

Awards winners: Back- (l. to r.) Mackenzie Weinkauf, Jodi DeVaal, Brooke Fraasch, and Jamie DeVaal. Front- Greta Snaza, Christina Lusk, and Dani Yamaura.

Seniors are Brooke Fraasch (l.) and Jamie DeVaal (r.).