×

Valuable experience

Youthful Minot High gymnastics team focuses on development

Alex Eisen/MDN The Minot High School gymnastics team lines up at the start of the Western Dakota Association regional tournament held Feb. 17 at the Gymagic Center in Minot.

Over half of the Minot High School gymnastics team are middle schoolers. So, it only makes sense that coach Robbie Wechau would classify this season as a “development year.”

“I think we have had a pretty good season and we have improved as the season has gone on,” Wechau said. “We have learned, gained experience and we are just young. We don’t have any seniors.”

With a roster comprised of two juniors, two sophomores, two freshmen, five eighth graders and two seventh graders, the Majettes are having a relatively down year compared to the state championship teams they have bolstered in recent memory (2015, 2009-2012).

But, it’s still a season to be proud of nonetheless.

While they haven’t recorded a team victory on the year, Minot has placed second three times and third twice during meets this season. The Majettes took fourth at the Western Dakota Association regional tournament in Minot over the weekend.

The results, however, don’t necessarily display the progress the team has made and some of the struggles they have faced over the course of the season.

“We have had to deal with a couple of serious injuries that maybe set us back or held us back a little bit,” Wechau said. “But, I would say in general, I have seen improvement throughout the season.”

Two of the more prominent injury-riddled gymnasts are also a couple of the older Majettes on the squad in junior Nikayla Wacha and sophomore Adisynn Widdel.

During Wacha’s comeback attempt from a torn ACL last year, she ended up breaking her thumb at the beginning of this season and that was followed by yet another setback more recently.

“(Wacha) was just kind of getting back into things and probably going to be ready to compete here at the end of the season and now she has hurt her ankle,” Wechau said. “They are waiting to see if it is broken. So, she has battled injuries for about a year.”

Widdel has been fighting through shoulder pain that kept her out into January and also suffered an ankle sprain that has limited her to compete for the all around competition in just two meets.

“Those are our two major injuries that we have had to battle,” Wechau said. “Girls who have been on the team for two, three years or longer that have some leadership, so that is kind of tough.”

For a team lacking senior leadership, that toughness to push through the pain shouldn’t be overlooked. Widdel, who took second in the WDA tournament floor event, was one of many gymnasts Wechau highlighted as being leading performers this season.

A couple others included sophomore Olivia Schoffstall, who placed sixth on the bars and vault at regionals, and junior Grace Shanklin.

“(Schoffstall) has gotten stronger, more confident in her events, in her skills and in her routines,” Wechau said. “Grace Shanklin has also done well and grown as the season has gone on with her skills and her confidence as well. And shown to be more of leader type person on our team.”

As for the younger group of girls, eighth graders Lyric Leverenz and MiKayla Kippen along with seventh grader Bella Price were also mentioned for their ongoing improvements.

Price was the Majettes highest all around finisher at regionals in ninth place, which was aided by a fourth place floor routine and a 10th place on the vault. Meanwhile, Leverenz grabbed a top 10 finish on the balance beam.

“Lyric Leverenz has done well on bars and balance beam for us when we have needed her to,” Wechau said. “And MiKayla Kippen has come a long way from when we have started both confidence wise and skill wise.”

The Majettes head off to Dickinson on Friday for the state tournament. The team portion will be held on Friday with the individual competition taking place on Saturday at Dickinson High School.

Yet another new experience for some of the girls on the team.

“We are looking forward to it,” Wechau said. “For the younger ones that have never been to a state high school meet, they are excited about it and it’s going to be interesting to see how they react to it. It’s a little different and they have never been to a meet like this.

“The older ones, who kind of understand what is going on, have tried to help (the younger ones) a little bit by saying, ‘It’s not that bad.’ It’s going to seem a little overwhelming, but it’s really not. So, we are excited for the experience if nothing else, and we’ll get to see how we end up individually on Saturday too.”

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today