Dickinson stays unbeaten, Fossum wins all-around

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MINOT — The pursuit of perfection lives on.

The Dickinson High gymnastics team kept its perfect record unblemished Friday, narrowly escaping with a victory at the Kim Lupo Memorial. The Midgets edged host Minot High 146.625 to 146.075.

The Midgets did so, however, without recording a winner in any event except the all-around, where seventh-grader Acacia Fossum won with a score of 37.575.

Fossum had just enough to hold off Bismarck Century’s Jessica Gabriel, who had a 37.275.

Mikaela Kessel was the next-closest Dickinson gymnasts to Fossum in the all-around, scoring 36.275 to take sixth place. Shalesa Wariner finished in seventh with a 36.175.

“We didn’t have a perfect meet,” Dickinson head coach Kent Van Ells said. “But we had a pretty good one.”

Dickinson won two events as a team, the uneven bars and balance beam. Minot won the vault and floor exercise.

“Even the years when we won state (2007, 2008) we didn’t beat Minot in Minot,” Van Ells said. “The girls are pretty excited.”

Century’s Jennifer Albers won on the balance beam with a score of 9.650 and Wariner took second with a 9.500.

In the floor exercise, Minot’s Misha Taylor received top honors with a 9.775 and Fossum tied for fourth with a 9.600.

Albers chalked up her second event victory on the uneven bars with a score of 9.425, defeating teammate Jessica Gabriel who scored a 9.325.

Sam Huether of Minot won the vault with a score of 9.650. Fossum was fourth with a 9.400. Dickinson’s Keana Kudrna took fifth with a 9.375.

“The bars ended up being our road to victory,” Van Ells said. “We came out ahead of Minot by 1.325. … That made the difference.”

Kim Lupo Memorial

At Minot

Team scores: Dickinson High 146.625, Minot High 146.075, Bismarck Century 139.975, Bismarck High 138.475

All around

1, Acacia Fossum, D, 37.575. 2, Jessica Gabriel, C, 37.275. 3, Mackenzie Keidel, B, 37.000. 4, Brooklyn Bender, M, 36.800. 5, Jennifer Albers, C, 36.525. 6, Mikaela Kessel, D, 36.275.

Vault

1, Sam Huether, M, 9.650. 2T, Mackenzie Keidel, 9.450. 2T, Savannah Fix, M, 9.450. 4, Acasia Fossum, D, 9.400. 5, Keana Kudrna, D, 9.375. 6, Hannah Werchau, M, 9.275.

Uneven bars

1, Jennifer Albers, C, 9.425. 2, Jessica Gabriel, C, 9.325. 3, Acacia Fossum, D, 9.275. 4, Brooklyn Bender, M, 8.975. 5, Mackenzie Keidel, 8.950. 6, Brogan Burwick, D, 8.825.

Balance beam

1, Jennifer Albers, C, 9.650. 2, Shalesa Wariner, D, 9.500. 3, Brooklyn Bender, M, 9.450. 4, Misha Taylor, M, 9.375. 5, Jessica Gabriel, C, 9.350. 6, Acacia Fossum, D, 9.300.

Floor exercise

1, Misha Taylor, M, 9.775. 2, Mackenzie Keidel, B, 9.700. 3, Sam Huether, M, 9.625. 4T, Payton Ringoen, M, 9.600. 4T, Acacia Fossum, D, 9.600. 6, Mikaela Kessel, D, 9.575.

Tags: sports, gymnastics, midgets, preps