Midgets’ Fossum wins 3 state titles

• Acacia Fossum on beam

Photo by John M. Steiner/Forum Communications Co. Dickinson seventh-grader Acacia Fossum does her balance beam routine during the state individual championship meet on Saturday at Jamestown High School. Fossum won the all-around, beam and floor exercise state titles.

Talk about it

JAMESTOWN — Acacia Fossum’s first name isn’t the easiest to pronounce or spell, but people are going to have to get used to it.

Dickinson’s dynamic seventh-grader capped off a brilliant season on Saturday by winning the balance beam, floor exercise and all-around championships at the state individual meet, setting up what looks like a dynasty in the making.

“Coaches like to say, ‘We’ll take great attitude over exceptional ability.’ But when you get one with both, then you really got something,” Dickinson coach Kent Van Ells said. “(Acacia) has both.”

Fossum finished with a total of 38.250, over a quarter-point better than Bismarck Century’s Jessica Gabriel’s 37.833, who finished second.

Fossum won both the beam (9.700) and floor (9.683) to lead another strong overall day for Dickinson. Leaving as the all-around champion was just icing on the cake.

“I really wasn’t worried about where I placed. I just wanted to do the best I could,” she said. “We did really well as a team

(Friday), and we just wanted to follow that up and do well again (Saturday), and I think we did.”

Fossum’s win didn’t surprise anyone. She entered with the top all-around average (38.158) and surpassed that mark Saturday.

“She’s been remarkably consistent all season. She only fell off beam once all season,” Van Ells said. “She’s a wonderful girl, and she obviously is exceptionally talented.”

Team scores aren’t kept in the individual competition, but had they been, Dickinson would have finished ahead of Minot, unlike Friday when the Majettes won their third straight team championship.

Senior Brogan Burwick (36.517) tied for seventh and junior Shalesa Wariner was ninth to give Dickinson three of the top nine all-around scores.

“I guess (tonight) was our night, and (Friday) was theirs,” Van Ells said. “We talk a lot about Acacia because she won, but all of our girls really did well. It was a very encouraging and positive way to end the season.”

Bismarck Century had the second and third placers in the all around.

Jennifer Albers, who won the bars with a score of 9.6, was third overall (36.967), behind teammate Gabriel. Bismarck’s Mackenzie Keidel (36.883) was fourth and Brooklyn Bender of Minot was fifth with a mark of 36.883.

Bender was also named the Outstanding Senior Athlete of the Year. Her coach, Pam Tweten, was named Coach of the Year.

But the day belonged to Fossum, who figures to be a force for the next five years.

“We’re very supportive of each other as a team,” Fossum said. “We just try to come out here and do our best. It’s a lot of fun.”

State Gymnastics Meet

Individual Competition

At Jamestown High School

All-around

1, Fossum, DHS, 38.250. 2, Gabriel, Century, 37.833. 3, Albers, Century, 36.967. 4, Keidel, BHS, 36.883. 5, Bender, Minot, 36.683. 6, Taylor, Minot, 36.533. 7T, Bock, South, 36.517. 7T, Burwick, DHS, 36.517. 9, Wariner, DHS, 36.417. 10, Lind, JHS, 36.383. 11, K.Kelley, BHS, 36.300. 12, Ringoen, Minot, 36.283. 13, S.Huether, Minot, 35.950. 14, Kessel, DHS, 35.783. 15, Kostelecky, DHS, 35.533.

Vault

1, Samantha Huether, M, 9.683. 2, Mackenzie Keidel, B, 9.583. 3, Jessica Gabriel, C, 9.517. 4, Misha Taylor, M, 9.400. 5, Acacia Fossum, D, 9.383. 6, Shalesa Wariner, D, 9.367. 7, McKenzie Kostelecky, D, 9.350. 8T, Keana Kudrna, D, 9.283. 8T, Brooklyn Bender, M, 9.283. 10, Ashley Weiland, GF, 9.267. 11, Kiara Bock, FS, 9.250. 12, Alex Lind, J, 9.233. 13T, Brogan Burwick, D, 9.167. 13T, Payton Ringoen, M, 9.167. 13T, Katlin Kelley, B, 9.167.

Uneven bars

1, Jennifer Albers, Bismarck Century, 9.6. 2, Jessica Gabriel, Century, 9.5. 3, Acacia Fossum, Dickinson, 9.483. 4, Mackenzie Keidel, Bismarck, 9.383. 5, Brooklyn Bender, Minot, 9.3. 6T, Alex Lind, JHS, 9.1. 6T, Brogan Burwick, Dickinson, 9.1. 8, Katlin Kelley, BHS, 8.917. 9, Kiara Bock, South, 8.85. 10T, Samantha Huether, Minot, 8.767. 10T, Mercedes Westereng, JHS, 8.767. 12T, Mikaela Kessel, DHS, 8.667. 12T, Mckenzie Kostelecky, DHS, 8.667. 14, Ashley Meyer, BHS, 8.633. 15, Keana Kudrna, DHS, 8.617.

Balance beam

1, Fossum, DHS, 9.7. 2, Misha Taylor, Minot, 9.5. 3, Jenna Mueller, DHS, 9.467. 4, Jessica Gabriel, Century, 9.417. 5, K.Kelley, DHS, 9.367. 6, Albers, Century, 9.35. 7, Payton Ringoen, Minot, 9.333. 8, Shalesa Wariner, DHS, 9.133. 10, Faith Marty, Fargo North, 9.1. 11, Bock, South, 9.017. 12, Burwick, DHS, 8.983.12, Brooke Lukach, JHS, 8.85.14, Westereng, JHS, 8.8.15, Marika Heiskanen, BHS, 8.767.

Floor exercise

1, Fossum, DHS, 9.683. 2, Lind, JHS, 9.6. 2, Keidel, BHS, 9.55. 4, Ringoen, Minot, 9.517. 5, Bender, Minot, 9.433. 6T, Bock, South, 9.4. 6T, Gabriel, Century, 9.4. 8, Taylor, Minot, 9.383. 9T, Wariner, DHS, 9.333. 9T, Lukach, JHS, 9.333. 11, Steph Huether, Minot, 9.3. 12, Burwick, DHS, 9.267. 13, Allyson Hall, South, 9.183. 14, S.Huether, Minot, 9.3. 12, Burwick, DHS, 9.267. 13, Hall, South, 9.183. 14, S.Huether, Minot, 9.083. 15, Megan Kelley, BHS, 9.017.

Selvig is the Sports Editor of The Jamestown Sun, which is owned by Forum Communications Co. The Dickinson Press staff contributed to this story.

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