“I was very pleased with the way we started off the season,” said Head Gymnastics Coach jen Harmoning.  “It would have been nice to take first, but scores and placements are not the main focus right now.”  

 

Becker finished just two-100ths behind North Branch in the eight-team invitational hosted by Becker Saturday. 

 

“We planned to go out there and put in solid, safe performances and we did that,” said Harmoning, who has seen her fair share of injured athletes the last few years.

 

 “We were competing without several varsity routines, so I knew it would be some tight competition between Willmar, North Branch and us.”

 

North Branch had 138.300 points for first place, Becker had 138.100 points for second and Willmar finished in third with 135.800 points. The other teams competing were, St. Michael-Albertville, Rush City-Pine City-Hinckley-Finlayson, Farmington, Sauk Rapids and Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted.

 

Becker’s Lindsay Olsen competed vault for the first time since the 2015-16 season (injuries) and hit a nice piked tsukahara for third place (9.250).

 

Miranda O'Brien tied for first on the event with a 9.350 score.

 

Lexi Michels and Aubree Lahr successfully competed new release skills. Michels tallied a 7.350 score and Lahr a 7.900 score. Olsen was Becker’s top bar gymnast and she scored an 8.400. Marlee Louden had an 8.300 and O’Brien an 8.050.

 

Becker had three “stuck” beam routines out of five and only needed to count one fall for the team total.

 

“The girls looked confident and calm on the beam,” said Harmoning. “That is not the usual in the first competition of the year.”

 

O’Brien had a 9.200 score followed by Louden (8.550), Haley Hubbard (8.450), Kassidy Severson (8.000) and Olsen (7.800).

 

Hubbard scored a personal record floor score of 9.55. She was followed by Severson (8.900), Olsen (8.650), O’Brien (8.350) and Lahr (7.850).

 

“The team had a lot of fun showing off the new routines they've worked so hard on putting together,” said the head coach. “Severson's choreography was definitely a huge crown pleaser.”

 

O’Brien notched the top all-around score for the Bulldogs with a 34.950. She was closely followed by Olsen with a 34.100.

 

Hubbard finished the all-around with a 26.400 score followed by Severson (25.500), Lahr (24.350), Louden (16.850) and Michels (7.350).

 

“It was really wonderful to have both Aubree Lahr and Lindsay Olsen competing all-around after missing out on most of everything all last season due to injuries,” said Harmoning.

 

Even though it’s very early in the competitive season, Harmoning has a small list of things her team needs to work on.

 

“Getting everyone healthy and out on the competition floor,” said Harmoning. “And gradually putting in the new difficult skills that everyone has worked so hard on during the off-season.”

 

The girls competed Friday at Rush City High School then head to Annandale next Saturday to take on the Cardinals.