MN State Girls’ Gymnastics Meet Preview

            Both Detroit Lakes (Class A) and Roseville Area (Class AA) return to defend their 2015 titles when the 2016 State Girls’ Gymnastics Meet opens at the Sports Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus on Friday, Feb. 19. Five other qualifying teams return from last year’s Class A field. In Class AA, five additional teams return from the 2015 field.

            In Class A, two champions return in search of more gold. Jennifer Boyle of Austin is looking to repeat in the uneven bars and Mady Brinkman of Melrose Area is hoping for her second consecutive title in the balance beam.

            In Class AA, Maria McDonough of Faribault is competing for her second consecutive championship in the balance beam.

            Class A Highlights

            The defending champions from Detroit Lakes return with 10 gymnasts who competed in the state meet last year. The Detroit Lakes team includes students from Frazee. Five additional teams that competed in the 2015 team competition also return: Melrose Area, runner-up; Watertown-Mayer/Mound-Westonka, third; Becker, fifth; Austin, sixth; and Worthington, which includes students from Adrian and Fulda, seventh. The other qualifying teams are Mankato West and Mahtomedi.

            Nine of 30 event medal-winners will return for the 2016 Class A individual competition.

            Maddie Mullenbach of Austin, who placed fifth last year, is the only returning medalist in the floor exercise.

            Defending champion Jennifer Boyle of Austin leads three returning medal-winners in the uneven bars competition. Carly Breitenfeldt of Perham and Mady Brinkman of Melrose Area, who placed third and fourth in 2015, respectively, also return.

            Teammates Mady Brinkman and Kayla Austing of Melrose Area both return in the balance beam. Brinkman took championship honors in 2015 and Austing placed fifth.

            Haley Mottinger of Willmar is the single returning medalist in the vault. She is looking to improve on last year’s runner-up showing.

            Mady Brinkman of Melrose Area leads the field in the all-around. She placed second last year and will face tough competition from Maddie Mullenbach of Austin. Mullenbach placed fifth in 2015.

            Class AA Highlights

            Roseville Area returns as the four-time defending champion and the Raiders return four gymnasts from last year’s team. In addition to Roseville Area, five other teams also return from the 2015 field: St. Cloud Tech, which includes students from St. Cloud Cathedral, runner-up; Lakeville North, third; East Ridge of Woodbury, fourth; Champlin Park, fifth; and Cambridge-Isanti, seventh. Owatonna and Eden Prairie are the final qualifying teams.

            Twelve of 30 event medal-winners in 2015 will return for 2016 Class AA individual competition.

            Defending champion Maria McDonough of Faribault returns in search of more gold in the balance beam. Kayla Soplata of Roseville Area, who placed fourth last year, also returns.

            Andrea Gessner of Centennial of Circle Pines leads a field of four returning qualifiers in the vault competition. Gessner earned runner-up honors in 2015. The other returning medal-winners are: Liz Hammond of Champlin Park, fourth; Josey Schlie of Rosemount, fifth; and Sophie Redding of Henry Sibley of Mendota Heights, sixth.

            Lauren Stitch of Eden Prairie and Lara Aycock of St. Cloud Tech return in the uneven bars. They placed fourth and fifth last year, respectively.

            Two medalists return in the floor exercise: Josey Schlie of Rosemount, runner-up; and Andi Puls of Wayzata, tied for sixth.

            Jessica Strecker of Roseville Area and Megan Trollen of East Ridge are the only two medal-winners retuning in the all-around. Strecker placed fourth last year and Trollen finished sixth.

            Schedule and Tickets

            The meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19 and 20, at the Sports Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. Team competition is scheduled for Friday, with Class A competition beginning at 11 a.m. and Class AA competition beginning at 6 p.m. The identical time schedule will be followed for Saturday's individual and all-around events, with Class A beginning in the morning and Class AA beginning in the evening.

            Tickets for the meet are available at the Sports Pavilion. Adult tickets cost $12.00 per session and student tickets cost $8.00 per session.

           

            Webcast

            The entire state meet — team competition on the 19th and individual competition on the 20th — will be webcast live on pay-per-view at Prep45.com. The cost is $6.97 per day or $10.97 for both days.