Detroit Lakes Gymnastics Return To State With Back-To-Back Section Championships; Six Lakers qualify to compete individually

FERGUS FALLS, MN (KDLM) – The Detroit Lakes Laker Gymnastics Team won their second-straight Section 8A championship on Saturday afternoon, sending them back down to the State Tournament for the seventh time in the last nine seasons.

The five-time state champion Lakers have now won 11 section titles.

The Lakers, currently ranked #2 in the state in Class A, scored a season-high 147.125 at the section meet in Fergus Falls, a full four points ahead of second-place Melrose.

Laker senior Gabby Whitworth won her second-straight section title with a 37.650. Teammate Jerzie Horner finished in second with a 37.300. Courtney Althouse of Melrose placed third in the all-around and will compete individually at the state meet.

Whitworth won the floor routine (9.5) and finished in the top three in the Bars (9.15), Beam (9.4), and Vault (9.6). Horner placed first on vault (9.75) and bars (9.5). She also finished sixth on the floor and 10th on the beam.

The top three individual finishers not in the top three for the all-around will also compete in St. Paul next weekend.

Elsie Ratz returns to state as an individual competitor on vault for a second straight year with a fourth-place finish (9.5). Kate Taves will compete in two events after placing third in the floor routine (9.2) and fifth in beam (9.05). Ava Morrison (8.6) and Morgan Hausten (8.6) will compete individually on the bars after fourth and sixth-place finishes.

Perham’s Avery McAllister will also return to state as an individual competitor this year. McAllister was the section beam champion with a 9.55. She also qualified in vault (second-place finish, 9.65), and floor (fourth-place finish, 9.175). McAllister also place seventh on the bars, and was fourth in the All Around with a 36.800.

Team competition for the 2022-23 Class A State Gymnastics Meet begins at 6:00 pm on Friday, February 24th at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. The individual and all-around championship begins at 6:00 pm on Saturday.

SECTION 8A TEAM SCORES

1- Detroit Lakes 147.125; 2- Melrose 143.0; 3- Perham 136.9; 4- Fergus Falls 135.925; 5- Little Falls 127.525; 6- Park Rapids 127.125; 7- Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 98.325;