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Chisago Lakes and North Branch both tested themselves against some of the state’s top gymnastics programs at the My Ribbon My Reason White Bear Lake Invitational on Dec. 6, using the large, competitive meet as an early-season measuring stick.

“This meet is a great start to the season out. The judges are able to provide feedback that the athletes, which can be used to better understand how we're scoring,” Chisago Lakes Head Coach Lee Crouse said. “Overall this was a good start, and provides a good baseline as we move into our conference meets.”

The Wildcats finished ninth overall with a team score of 127.950, while North Branch placed fifth at 132.000 in a field that included several perennial powers. 

For the ‘Cats, senior Chelsea Stipe delivered one of the top all-around performances of the meet among area athletes. Stipe finished seventh in the all-around with a score of 34.55, showing consistency across every rotation. She was especially sharp on balance beam, placing ninth with an 8.85, and followed that up with an eighth-place finish on floor exercise with an 8.80. Stipe also contributed solid routines on vault and bars to anchor the Wildcats’ lineup.

Lila Leadholm was another key contributor for Chisago Lakes, placing 12th in the all-around at 33.4. Leadholm’s best event was vault, where she scored a 9.0 to place seventh overall. She also added an 8.45 on beam and an 8.50 on floor.

Vault proved to be a strength for Chisago Lakes throughout the meet. In addition to Leadholm, Stella Palmer and Hannah Dauffenbach added solid vaults, while the team consistently landed cleanly against a deep field. Dauffenbach also had a strong showing on bars, placing eighth with an 8.10, one of the Wildcats’ top finishes of the day.

North Branch turned in several impressive individual results while posting its fourth-place team finish. Ella Dick led the Vikings in the all-around, finishing eighth with a score of 34.10. Dick’s most notable performance came on vault, where she placed third with a score of 9.25.

Emma Fenton also delivered a strong meet for North Branch, finishing 13th in the all-around with a 33.35. Fenton’s balance beam routine stood out, earning an 8.70 to place 10th overall, while she added an 8.60 on floor exercise to round out her day.

Sophia Thorsen placed ninth on floor exercise with an 8.70 and added an 8.10 on bars, showing improved consistency across multiple events. Brooke Giese also contributed for North Branch, with an 8.50 on vault and and 8.40 on floor.

On bars, both programs saw encouraging results. Dauffenbach’s eighth-place finish paced Chisago Lakes, while Thorsen and Dick both landed inside the top half of the field for the Vikes. 

Floor exercise closed the meet on a positive note for both squads. Stipe again paced Chisago Lakes with a top-10 finish, while North Branch had multiple gymnasts score above 8.0, which is a great start to the season.

The meet provided a clear snapshot of where both teams are at right now. Chisago Lakes took positives from its individual performances and growing consistency across all four events, while North Branch showed it can compete and will only build their routines to bigger scores. 

After the meet, White Bear Lake Head Coach Sarah Crist announced that the meet raised over $500 to be donated to Shout Out Loud MN, a local charity in Minnesota that works to create awareness about suicide prevention in our local community and schools, normalize conversions around mental health and teach coping skills and strategies that support a person’s mental wellness.

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