No. 2 Minot edges No. 1 DHS at Lupo

• Acacia Fossum

Photo by Tim Chapman/Special to The Press Dickinson eighth-grader Acacia Fossum competes on the uneven bars Friday during the Kim Lupo Memorial meet at Minot’s Gymagic. Fossum won the bars and was second in all-around.

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MINOT — Minot High School didn’t need a first-place individual finish in any event to win Friday’s Kim Lupo Memorial at Gymagic.

The Minot gymnasts needed a boost from their youngest competitors to beat Dickinson, Bismarck High and Bismarck Century.

The No. 2-ranked Majettes finished with 146.875 points, as the No. 1-ranked Midgets came up shy with 145.275.

Minot co-coach Robbie Werchau was looking for strong performances from her less-experienced gymnasts because senior Payton Ringoen is recovering from mononucleosis and senior Misha Taylor is competing on an injured ankle.

“I think I performed pretty good. I just needed to make up for my teammates, who couldn’t compete,” Reiter said. “I had to pick up for those two and I thought I did pretty good overall.”

Century’s Jessica Gabriel was the top finisher in two events and the all-around. Dickinson eighth-grader Acacia Fossum, the defending state champion in the all-around, finished second in the uneven bars and the all-around.

“I was pretty happy with my (bar) routine today, especially my dismount,” Fossum said. “It’s good to see like what (the other teams) have so we know whether to improve and what kind of competition we have at WDA and state.”

Fossum tied for first in the uneven bars with Bismarck’s Kaylee Keller at 9.650. She was third on the vault (9.500), tied for fourth in the balance beam with teammate Mikaela Kessel (9.400) and was fifth in the floor exercise (9.375).

Dickinson’s Jenna Mueller finished third on the balance beam (9.475), Shalesa Wariner was fifth on the uneven bars (9.250) and Keana Kudrna was sixth on the vault (9.300).

The Kim Lupo Memorial continues this morning at 9 a.m. with the USA Gymnastics portion of the meet.

In its 29th year, the Memorial honors the memory of Kim Lupo, a Dickinson native who competed at Minot State College.

Lupo died at the age of 22 in a 1982 car accident.

While in college, Lupo coached at Minot Ryan. She was also a collegiate champion three times, competing against the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State, according to former Minot State and Minot High coach Gary Leslie.

“Her and I were gonna set up a camp in New Rockford and she was down setting it up,” said Leslie, who still volunteers with Minot High gymnastics. “Driving home, she hit a bridge ... and killed herself in a car accident.

“I think she was destined to be what is called a brevet judge in gymnastics and that’s the highest level of judging.”

Lupo’s sister, Marla Stevens, was also in attendance Friday.

“She was a great gymnast,” Stevens said. “She lived and dreamed gymnastics.”

Kim Lupo Memorial

At Gymagic

Team scores: Minot High 146.875, Dickinson 145.275, Bismarck High 144.775, Bismarck Century 139.275.

All-around: 1, Jessica Gabriel, BC, 38.225. 2, Acacia Fossum, D, 37.925. 3, Mackenzie Keidel, B, 37.425. 4, Kaylee Keller, B, 37.250. 5, Madison Reiter, M, 36.300. 6 (tie), Sam Huether, M, 36.000; Katlin Kelley, B, 36.000.

Floor exercise: 1, Gabriel, BC, 9.625. 2, Keidel, B, 9.450. 3 (tie), Jenna Breuer, M, 9.400; Sam Huether, M, 9.400. 5, Fossum, D, 9.375. 6, Payton Ringoen, M, 9.250.

Vault: 1, Keidel, B, 9.800. 2, Sam Huether, M, 9.650. 3, Fossum, D, 9.500. 4. Gabriel, BC, 9.375. 5, Kelley, B, 9.350. 6 (tie), Keana Kudrna, D, 9.300; Keller, B, 9.300.

Uneven bars: 1 (tie), Keller, B, 9.650; Fossum, D, 9.650. 3, Gabriel, BC, 9.625. 4, Keidel, B, 9.350. 5, Shalesa Wariner, D, 9.250. 6, Hannah Werchau, M. 9.100.

Balance beam: 1 (tie), Gabriel, BC, 9.600; Misha Taylor, M, 9.600. 3, Jenna Mueller, D, 9.475. 4 (tie), Fossum, D, 9.400; Mikaela Kessel, D, 9.400. 6, Madison Reiter, M, 9.300.

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