Gymnastics clinches state berth

Four individuals also to compete at state

The Forest Lake gymnastics team entered the 2023-24 season with hopes and expectations of staying healthy and taking the necessary steps toward making a competitive run for the Section 7AA championship. After finishing fourth in both the Suburban East Conference and in the section tournament a season ago, the Rangers captured the section championship, qualifying as a team for the state gymnastics meet for the first time since 2021, as well as sending four gymnasts to the individual state meet.

The Rangers earned their state berth on Friday, Feb. 16, by finishing in first place overall as a team at the Section 7AA tournament held at Cambridge-Isanti High School, beating out rival schools from Anoka, Blaine, Cambridge-Isanti, Coon Rapids, Centennial and Elk River.

Forest Lake began its siege on the floor routine, which head coach Lindsey Pierron notes “is one of our stronger events.”

Pierron said freshman Brielle Berube “hit a beautiful routine,” that scored 9.125.

The Rangers were able to count scores of all nines within the first rotation, led by sophomore Hailey Henry, junior Elly Stamp and seniors Sami Ernst and Anna Philipson. The strong start had Pierron wondering if she’s seen a better start from a team such as her own.

“It was probably the best start we’ve had to a section meet for as long as I can remember,” Pierron said.

The Rangers then transitioned over to the vault category, where the girls have seen plenty of success up to this point in the season. Performing another excellent rotation, Phillipson, Berube, Henry, Stamp and Ernst all hit on both vaults. Philipson would record a career-high score of 9.2, while Henry also hit a career-high mark with a 9.4, before Stamp became the third Ranger to score a career-high at 9.45. But it was Ernst, who has been one of the workhorses for the squad this season, that clinched the top score on vault for the team with a 9.725. Prolific scores from Stamp and Henry allowed the pair to clinch back-to-back state tournament appearances.

The bars have been a hard apparatus for the team this year, and the Rangers needed solid scores to pursue their state dreams. The rotation consisted of freshman Laney Bergeson, seniors Emmi Gunderson and Amelia Bonnett, along with the pair of trusty seniors in Ernst and Philipson.

“Bars tend to be the most challenging event to score well on because it’s hard to meet all of the requirements in addition to having a bonus,” Pierron said.

Ernst and Philipson totaled almost identical scores – 9.525 and 9.575, respectively – and Ernst’s score was her season-high on the year.

“Both of those athletes made a significant contribution and impact on our team bar score,” Pierron said.

Gunderson scored a 7.7, while Berguson finished with an 8.025, along with Bonnett’s 8.325.

The Rangers were looking good for state, but the gymnasts had to face one of the hardest apparatuses in the competition: beam.

“Beam can be a little bit of a hit or a miss, as it often can be, especially in a high-pressure meet,” Pierron said. “It’s hard to have the beam as the last event, but we still managed to put together another good rotation.”

Berube scored a 9.25 and Philipson received a 9.325.

The Rangers totaled a season-high score of 146.1, earning the team’s state berth.

“As a whole, the team really wanted to win,” Pierron said. “They worked hard, they pushed each other and cheered one another on. They were genuinely excited for each other – and that excitement built throughout the evening. As a coach, it was so rewarding and wonderful to watch the whole team come together and make something magical happen. This team really is something special – and I am proud to be a part of each one of their high school gymnastics journeys.”

In the all-around format, Philipson took home first place with a score of 37.45, while Sami Ernst placed second overall just behind Philipson on a 37.375. Both gymnasts will represent Forest Lake in the individual all-around competition on Saturday, Feb. 24, along with Stamp and Henry in the vault category. The Rangers will compete as a team on Friday, Feb. 23, at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul.