JAMESTOWN, N.D. (Newsdakota.com) – The 2021 NDHSAA State Gymnastics Meet begins today at Jerry Meyer Arena in Jamestown. The team competition will be on Friday and the individual competition will be held Saturday.

Dickinson won its fifth straight team title in 2020 and seventh in the last eight years. Since 2007, the state champ has either been Minot or Dickinson.

This year, Dickinson will be challenged by Jamestown and Valley City. They finished one and two i last year’s state meet.

This year, Dickinson is ranked number 1 heading into the state meet. With Jamestown number 2 and Valley City ranked third. Bismarck Legacy is ranked fourth.

Dickinson has the top two scores this year, and Valley City ahs the next two highest scores. The Hi-Liners saved their best score for last week’s EDC meet in Valley City.  With a first in every event and the all-around, the Hi-Liners put up a 146.825.

Hi-Liner head coach Johnny Tobler says this weekend is what they have been preparing for all season, and it good be a very special weekend for the Hi-Liners

The way the meet is set up, four teams will be be competing at a time, the other four will have a bye. Coach Tobler says keeping an eye on how the other teams are doing when the Hi-Liners are not competing is something he is not thinking about.

Valley City has five gymnasts ranked in the top 20 in the state in the All-Around. Jocey Kriewald is 3rd, Karina Olson is 4th, Abby Thornton is 9th, Olivia Olson is 13th and Grace Undem is 20th. Only Dickinson, six, has more.

Listen to 1490AM/96.3 FM KOVC for updates throughout the afternoon and evening beginning in the 4 O’ Clock hour.

Johnny Tobler Interview:

Gymnastics Team Send Off