Dickinson gymnasts excel at home meet
Jan. 31—DICKINSON — The Dickinson Midgets campaign for their ninth consecutive state title is going strong, showcasing growing confidence in their execution. This weekend marked their success with two first-place finishes, navigating a home meet on Friday and a Jamestown meet on Saturday. As the season approaches its end, the physical and mental challenges intensify, prompting Dickinson gymnasts to focus keenly on the details of their skills.
One of the team's significant motivators is their reliance on each other, fostering a sense of unity that makes even the most formidable tasks achievable.
The Midgets claimed gold, silver, and bronze in the all-around, led by Elizabeth Karsky, followed by Reygan Strommen and Aspen Roadarmel.
Achieving a team score of 150.800, Dickinson clinched first place as a team, outshining Minot and Century with scores of 141.750 and 138.750, securing second and third place, respectively.
"We are in top speed and pushing to the end," remarked Casey Berry, head coach of the Dickinson Midgets. "Everything is getting cleaner and a little tighter, so you can tell that they are putting in the reps and getting more comfortable with the skills that they are doing."
In Dickinson, Karsky led the vault and floor exercise rankings, securing first place in the all-around with a personal best score of 38.625. Her previous record was a 38.5, a feat she hadn't accomplished since her seventh-grade year.
Scoring an impressive 9.8 on vault and 9.775 on the floor showcased her consistency. However, it was her balance beam score of 9.3 that held particular significance to the freshman. Overcoming previous challenges in executing certain skills, such as a backspring roundoff and a back tuck, Karsky nailed it all on this day.
"My favorite thing was the beam routine because I haven't really stayed on all season, and it was really exciting because I wobble a lot, and normally when I wobble, I give up right away. But I was really determined to make my routine," Karsky said. "You have to know that if you fall, that it is okay. You have more meets, more opportunities. Just take a breath, forget that you fell, and think about the next skill."
Reygan Strommen's silver medal score of 38 was another personal best, performing exceptionally well on beam and vault with scores of 9.6 and 9.575, respectively. However, it was her floor exercise score of 9.375 that spoke volumes of her adaptability. During the routine, her music cut out, leaving her without audio cues. A remarkable moment followed, with her entire team clapping in unison to keep her going.
"The music cut out, and we just wanted her to keep going and be confident to finish the routine," Karsky said. "Reygan can do good, and we know she can do good, and we just wanted to help her out."
Strommen's bars routine was another significant achievement for the freshman. Pushing herself to boost her score, she reintroduced a double back into her routine, earning her highest score all year with a 9.450. Strommen emphasized the importance of taking it one skill at a time and maintaining consistency in practice.
"I was really scared to do [a double back on bars], but everyone was cheering me on, and I made it for the first time in a year," Strommen said. "Everybody expects your [pride] to be the thing you did well on, but sometimes getting a low score while still being better is more rewarding."
Aspen Roadarmel closely followed Strommen with an all-around score of 37.800, securing first place on the uneven bars. Performing the daring gienger release, she scored a 9.85. The sophomore always strives for improvement and perfection and according to Coach Berry, "is pretty darn close to it."
"I am the first one in Dickinson to ever do [a gienger release], so that was a really big moment for me, and I got the highest score I have ever gotten on bars," Roadarmel said. "I have improved a lot the last two years, and this has been a big step for me, and it is really nice to have all my support and coach able to put in that time with me."
Brooklyn Wariner and Samantha Simnioniw both finished in the top 10 in the all-around, while Victoria Whittlesey narrowly missed with an 11th-place finish. Wariner, despite recovering from a fall on beam, secured sixth place and impressed judges with a second-place ranking on bars with a 9.8 and a commendable 9.225 floor exercise.
Seventh-grader Megan Sitter, currently participating only on bars, showed improvement from the previous week, scoring an 8.150.
The Midgets' impressive performance continued on Saturday, with Karsky securing back-to-back first-place standings in the all-around, tying with Jamestown's Julia Skari. Following Skari were Roadarmel, Strommen, and Wariner, in that order.
Karsky scored the highest on both vault and bars with a 9.550 and 9.750, respectively. Skari had an excellent day of competition, besting everyone on the beam and her floor routine.
Dickinson will be back at home on Thursday, Feb. 8, but will first compete at the Minot invite on Feb. 2. Contesting at home does have its perks, but the Midgets' focus is always to compete, no matter where they are and that shows with their six first place finishers on the road.
"I love the atmosphere here; I love having all our family and parents here, and a lot of my friends come and support too," Roadarmel said. "It is a really good place to compete, and having all our home equipment is really nice because we practice on it every day."
