The Minot High School gymnastics team will be comprised of three seventh graders, two eighth graders, three freshman, one sophomore and one senior this season. A young group, but 10 girls is a number the Majettes can work with.

“We are a very young team, but they have a very good attitude,” Minot High gymnastics coach Robbie Werchau said. “Obviously we’d like to have more, because of injuries and illness, but 10 is a good number.”

Compared to the other teams in the West Region this year, the Majettes have the third highest amount of girls, but the only school with more than one seventh grader on the team.

“I think they’re a good group of girls that have really good attitudes, really like doing gymnastics and are fun to work with,” Werchau said.

Last year, the team took fifth at the state meet and fourth in the WDA, and that’s a place Werchau can see the team getting to again.

The Majettes are going to take this year as a learning opportunity. Learn how to be competitive and grow their knowledge throughout the season.

Through the growing pains, Werchau said she is going to be looking to Grace Shanklin, the lone senior on the team, to lead the Majettes on bars.

“(Shanklin) does very well on bars,” Werchau said. “She does other events as well, but bars is the best event.”

Emma Spengler, a sophomore, is another athlete Werchau is going to be looking to for leadership. Spengler was unable to join the team last year due to a back injury, but Werchau is confident she will take the lead and compete well.

The two eighth graders are returning from last year, and Werchau will be looking to them to lead the younger girls through their first competitive year.

The first, Bella Price, is a returning all-around gymnast for the Majettes. Price has competitive state experience, having tied sixth last year in all-around with fellow Majette Olivia Schoffstall.

Werchau is going to be leaning on Price for strong all-around scores, especially in the absence of Schoffstall.

The second, Olivia Spengler, is returning for vaults and floor. Werchau wants to work on getting Spengler “rolling in more events” and becoming a more competitive all-around gymnast.

Though they are a young group, the coach says the girls have a lot of goals, actual attainable goals.

“For me, and my daughter Hannah, it’s going to be a lot of how can we attain these goals,” Werchau said. “What are we doing as coaches and what is the team doing as gymnasts to achieve these goals?”

The young, goal-chasing Majettes begin their season 6 p.m. Friday at the Dickinson Invite.