DHS wins competitive Dullum Meet

The Dickinson High gymnastics team made a statement at a meet that will likely mimic the North Dakota State meet next February.

The Midgets had 146.000 team points to decisively win the Milo Dullum Meet on Friday night at the Dickinson High School gymnasium, beating rivals Minot High, Jamestown, Bismarck High and Bismarck Century, along with South Dakota's Rapid City Central and Rapid City Stevens.

Minot is the reigning state champion and Rapid City Central is the reigning South Dakota state champion, though neither it nor Stevens competed with a full team. Minot took second with 141.425 with Century placing third with 135.275, much due to junior Jessica Gabriel's all-around performance.

Gabriel won the all-around by .025 points over Dickinson freshman Acacia Fossum. Gabriel had a total score of 37.050 while Fossum finished with a 37.025.

Gabriel won three of the four events with solid performances on the vault (9.600), uneven bars (9.600), and floor exercise (9.450).

"It feels pretty good," Gabriel said. "It's the beginning of the season so anything could happen."

Fossum posted what coach Kent Van Ells described as good scores, but not good enough for a two-time defending all-around state champion.

Those scores, including a second-place finish on the uneven bars with a 9.525.

"It wasn't my best, but I'm glad with how I did for being hurt," Fossum said. "I know I can do a lot better cause I have mental blocks and injuries, but I'm glad that there's a lot of competition out there."

Dickinson also produced two surprise performances with senior Chantel Urlacher winning the balance beam with a score of 9.400, and freshman Keana Kudrna giving one of her highest career all-around scores with a 36.325 to take third.

"I'm so excited she'll been able to come back and has had two really good meets, and today was an exceptional one," said Van Ells about Urlacher, who missed almost all of last season with an ACL tear.

"It's the best feeling in the world," Urlacher said. "I'm so glad to be back, I missed the gym a lot."

Kudrna placed top five in three of her four events and had what coach Van Ells called the closest to a 100 percent meet.

"She isn't there yet, it'll be great when she gets there," he said. "Someday soon she's going to hit everything and explode on us."

Mckenzie Kostelecky took fourth on the uneven bars, giving what Van Ells called her best performance to date.

Dickinson's final meet of the calendar year is Dec. 21 in Bismarck.

However, there is one thing on the mind of all the individuals on the Dickinson team.

After finishing second at the state meet the last four years, the girls are hungry for a title.

"I feel, right now, we're the best team in the state," Van Ells said. "But you can't feel that is something that will continue automatically. We have to keep working and keep getting those girls that are injured back in, and if we do that I think we're going to be really tough to beat -- and that's a good place to be -- but at this point I can't say we're there so we have to keep working hard to stay out in front."

Milo Dullum Meet

At Dickinson High School gymnasium

Team: Dickinson High 146.000, Minot High 141.425, Bismarck Century 135.275, Jamestown 134.725, Bismarck High 134.525, Rapid City (S.D.) Central 120.600, Rapid City (S.D.) Stevens 66.275.

Individual Top 10

All-around: 1, Jessica Gabriel, Century, 37.050. 2, Acacia Fossum, 37.025. 3, Keana Kudrna, DHS, 36.325. 4, Mckenzie Kostelecky, DHS, 36.225. 5, Alex Lind, 36.125. 6, Samantha Huether, Minot, 36.100. 7, Chantel Urlacher, DHS, 36.025. 8, Hannah Werchau, Minot, 35.450. 9, Katy Rath, RCS, 35.150. 10, Sophia Thompson, Century, 35.025.

Balance beam: 1, Chantel Urlacher, DHS, 9.400. 2, Katlin Kelley, BHS, 9.200. 3, Kaylee Keller, BHS, 9.200. 4 (tie), Keana Kudrna, DHS, 9.000; Acacia Fossum, DHS, 9.000. 6 (tie), Mckenzie Kostelecky, DHS, 8.950; Jill Mueller, DHS, 8.950; Sophia Thompson, DHS, 8.950. 9, Megan Kelley, BHS, 8.900. 10, Jenna Breuer, Minot, 8.850.

Floor exercise: 1, Jessica Gabriel, Century, 9.450. 2, Alex Lind, Jamestown, 9.425. 3, Keana Kudrna, DHS, 9.400. 4, Samantha Huether, Minot, 9.350. 5 (tie), Kaylee Keller, BHS, 9.200; Acacia Fossum, DHS, 9.200. 7, Stephanie Huether, Minot, 9.025. 8, Mckinsey Kost, RCC, 8.950. 9 (tie), Jenna Breuer, Minot, 8.850; Hannah Werchau, Minot, 8.850.

Uneven bars: 1, Jessica Gabriel, Century, 9.600. 2, Acacia Fossum, DHS, 9.525. 3, Kaylee Keller, BHS, 9.150. 4 (tie), Mckenzie Kostelecky, DHS, 9.100; Alex Lind, Jamestown, 9.100. 6, Chantel Urlacher, DHS, 9.000. 7, Hannah Wechau, Minot, 8.950. 8, Jenna Breuer, Minot, 8.900. 9, Katy Rath, RCS, 8.775. 10, Madison Reiter, Minot, 8.650.

Vault: 1, Jessica Gabriel, Century, 9.600. 2 (tie), Samantha Huether, Minot, 9.400; McKenzie Kostelecky, DHS, 9.400. 4, Keana Kudrna, DHS, 9.350. 5, Acacia Fossum, DHS, 9.300. 6, Alex Lind, Jamestown, 9.250. 7 (tie), Chantel Urlacher, DHS, 9.200; McKinsey Kost, RCC, 9.200. 9 (tie), Jenna Stilwell, Jamestown, 9.150; Mikaela Kessel, DHS, 9.150.