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Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor
Unlike the mystery of the previous week, where the Forest Lake gymnastics team wasn’t sure what kind of squad Park had developed, the Rangers knew the Stillwater Ponies would provide a difficult test.
 After the No. 2 ranked Ponies cruised to a 145.125 to 136.925 victory, Forest Lake head coach Nancy Ellias was impressed.
“They didn’t even have a great meet against us and they scored over 145, so they will definitely challenge Roseville (as the state’s top program).”
SAFE LANDING: With a first place on the floor exercise and second on the vault, Taylor Brett (pictured here after a dismount on the uneven bars) finished the all-around competition in second against the skilled Stillwater Ponies.
On Thursday night, Ellias felt one of the challenges was the judging. Her group turned in better routines than the meet at Park — which showed in the team’s total — but Ellias thought the scores could have been even higher.
“I didn’t necessarily think those improved performances were reflected in some of our scores,” she said. “Most notably varsity beam and floor (exercise).”
Led by Kristina Krenz on the balance beam, Stillwater had four gymnasts finish above Forest Lake’s Taylor Brett, who was the top Ranger in that event.
Brett was first on floor exercise, but then was followed by four girls who wear the wrong colored uniform.
Ellias said judges will inevitably see different deductions in each routine, but there are a few specific areas her team will need to focus.
This season there will be an emphasis on combinations and connections. This means steps, stops or pauses between three skills will result in two deductions — connection and execution.
“Overall, I guess I have to feel positive about the improved routines this meet. The younger, inexperienced kids have been working hard and are seeing the mental focus that is critical to a good meet and routine,” Ellias noted.
Speaking of the younger gymnasts, last Thursday was not a typical competition, in that four Rangers were absent, including varsity all-arounder Jessie Ramberg.
“They had a junior high band concert,” Ellias said. “The kids we brought up to varsity did a nice job, [in what was] not an easy one.”
For the varsity, Brett used her first place on the floor exercise and a second on the vault to pick up a second place in the all-around. Maddie Crew was fourth in the all-around, which was helped by a fourth place on the vault and a fifth on the uneven bars.
The junior varsity had standout performances from Marissa Moravec, Amanda Hurtley, Esther Jandrich and Olivia Olesiak, in what was a 132.65 to 120.30 Forest Lake loss to Stillwater.
As Ellias states, the Rangers immediate schedule, “is a bear!”
Forest Lake hosted a quadrangular on Tuesday evening, and then have the pleasure of entertaining No. 1 ranked Roseville on Thursday, Dec. 20.
Varsity All-Around
1. Krenz - SHS 37.600
2. Brett - FLHS 36.475
3. K. Reinke - SHS 35.900
4. Crew - FLHS 34.650
5. C. Uram - FLHS 33.725
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