State Girls’ Gymnastics Meet

Perham, which is the eight-time defending Class A champion, returns in search of more gold when the 2012 State Girls’ Gymnastics Meet opens at the Sports Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus on Friday, Feb. 24. Three other qualifying teams also return from last year’s Class A field. In Class AA, five teams, including the two-time defending champions from Northfield, return from the 2011 field.

Two Class AA individual champions also return to defend their titles. Meaghan Howell of Northfield is looking for her second consecutive title on the uneven bars and Julia Stedman of North, North St. Paul, is seeking her consecutive title in the floor exercise.

New individual champions will emerge in all of the Class A events.

Class A Highlights

Eight-time defending champion Perham returns with six of the Yellowjackets’ gymnasts who competed in the state meet last year. Three additional teams that competed in the 2011 team competition also return: Melrose Area, third; New Prague, fourth; and Breck School of Golden Valley, sixth. The other qualifying teams are Austin, Jackson County Central, the co-op of Rush City/Pine City/Hinckley/Finlayson, and Big Lake.

Ten of 30 event medal-winners will return for the 2012 Class A individual competition.

Mikayla Dockendorf of Sartell-St. Stephen, who earned runner-up honors last year, is one of four returning competitors in floor exercise. The other returning medalists are: Hailey Brinkman of Melrose Area, third; Sarah Hoffman of New Prague, fourth; and Laura Jore of Big Lake, sixth.

Jessica Stelter of Detroit Lakes is the only returning qualifier in the uneven bars. She placed fifth in 2011.

In the balance beam competition, two medal-winners return: Brinkman of Melrose Area placed third and Libby Lee of Breck School finished sixth.

Sydnee Donnelli of Jackson County Central and Tara Svalland of Worthington are the only two medalists returning in the vault. Donnelli placed fifth in 2011 and Svalland tied for sixth.

Brinkman, who placed third last year, is the only returning medal-winner in the all-around competition.

Class AA Highlights

Northfield, which includes students from Cannon Falls and Randolph, returns as the two-time defending champion. The Raiders return seven gymnasts from last year’s team. In addition to Northfield, four other teams also return from the 2011 field: Roseville Area, runner-up; Park of Cottage Grove, third; Cambridge-Isanti, fourth; and St. Cloud Tech, which includes students from St. Cloud Cathedral, sixth. The other qualifying teams are Lakeville North, Stillwater Area, and Minnetonka.

Fifteen of 30 event medal-winners in 2011 will return for 2012 Class AA individual competition.

Emily Guimont of Edina is the only returning medalist in the balance beam. She placed third last year.

Julia Stedman of North, North St. Paul, who earned runner-up honors in 2011, is the highest returning medal-winner in the vault competition. Three other medalists also return; Mackenzie Dent of Eden Prairie, third; Leah Robinette of East Ridge of Woodbury, fourth; and Kasondra Tulloch of Park, fifth.

Four medal-winners, including defending champion Meaghan Howell of Northfield, return on the uneven bars. The others are: Tulloch, runner-up; Robinette, fourth; and Kellie Dougherty of White Bear Lake Area, fifth.

Stedman of North, who captured the top honor last year, is the highest returning medalist in the floor exercise. Three other medal-winners also return: Rachel Deephouse of Park, third; Dent, fourth; and Tulloch, sixth.

Tulloch and Stedman are the only returning medalists in the all-around competition. They placed second and fourth, respectively, in 2011.

Schedule & Tickets

The meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24 and 25, 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.

The entire state meet — team competition on the 24th and individual competition on the 25th — will be webcast live and free on Prep45.com

A visit to any participating Wells Fargo metro location can yield a $2 discount coupon for students 13 and younger. The discount coupons are also available for the following tournaments: Girls’ Hockey, Class A Boys’ Hockey, and Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball.