The Becker Bulldog girls gymnastics team celebrated their 2017-18 season with an end-of-the-year banquet Monday night at the school.
Coaches Jen Harmoning, Jesse Wiley, Kayla Kalinowski and Sheena Meillier handed out awards and sang praises of their two graduating seniors, Miranda O’Brien and Lindsay Olsen.
Awards
Perfect attendance: Keeley Holm and Abby Sanderson.
Spotlight on
Scholarship Award: O'Brien, Olsen, Emi Quill, Mackensie Cota, Keeley Holm, Amelia Kirchner, Shalyn Quernemoen, Sydne Hintermeister, Faith Madsen, Rebecca Psyk, Rachel Larson and Haylee Oakes.
All-Conference Academic Team:
Holm, Kirchner and Madsen.
Scholar
Athlete Award:
Quill.
Letterwinners:
O'Brien, Olsen, Quill, Holm, Kirchner, Fallon Peterson, Madsen and Sarah Woelfel.
Granite Ridge All-Conference:
O'Brien, Olsen, Quill, Kirchner and Woelfel.
All-State:
O'Brien.
All-State Honorable Mention:
Olsen, Quill, Kirchner and Woelfel.
Most Improved Gymnast Award:
Madsen.
Most Spirited Gymnast Award:
Kirchner.
Most Dedicated Gymnast Award:
O'Brien.
Harmoning took a moment to comment on her terrific seniors and team leaders. She first spoke of Olsen:
“Lindsay's easy-going personality and go-with-the-flow attitude was a perfect balance to some of the other more intense personalities on the team,” said the coach.
Harmoning noticed it was tough for Olsen at times to keep her focus on high school gymnastics when she had the excitement of being a fulltime college student at St. Cloud State as a high school senior.
“However, she persevered and I am so grateful for everything she gave to this team,” Harmoning said. “Lindsay's competitive spirit is something that I have always admired. She showed everyone how to compete hard and go confidently every single time, even if warm-ups before the meet or practice the day before didn’t go according to plan.
Harmoning said Olsen’s gymnastics journey had its share of highlights and lowlights (injury), but it was her dedication to the sport that remained steady.
“We all were so happy for her to be able to finish off her career with a trip to the state meet. We know Lindsay is super excited to head off to her real college experience, and we wish her the best and know she will do well. The things she has learned from her lifetime in gymnastics will help her achieve every goal she sets for herself.”
Harmoning then turned her attention to O’Brien, who Harmoning said was tough to speak about because she had so many things to say about this teenager.
“I have had some amazing teams over the years and I have been able to work with some truly amazing kids,” Harmoning said. “Miranda will be one of the ones that I remember forever.
There is truly no one out there like her, even though she has a twin sister!”
Harmoning was referring to Miranda’s sister, Nikki, who at one time was also part of Harmoning’s gymnastics team.
“Miranda is one of the hardest workers I’ve known,” the coach said. “No matter what task list was set before her, she would slay that list like a beast!”
Harmoning said with O’Brien, she has had the pleasure of experiencing a lot of “firsts’.
“Her first handspring layout stepout on beam, her first layout tsuk on vault, her first double back on floor — it has been a pretty incredible run,” she said. But, the most stand-out thing about Miranda is her heart. Nobody has a bigger heart, and she poured her all into it for this team and this sport, and everybody in this room is better for having known her and having witnessed her journey.”
