Owatonna triumphs over adversity for second at state

Owatonna gymnastics closed out a roller coaster 2025-26 season last Friday by finishing as the Class AA state runner-up with 144.500 points, falling short of Monticello’s 148.725.

The team may not have been able to defend its state title from the season prior, but according to Huskies’ head coach Kiana Starks, the true win was not measured in points.

“It’s hard to talk about it without tears because I could not be more proud of these kids,” said Stark. “For what they’ve gone through this season with all the injuries and for everyone that has stepped up, they have been incredible, and I’m so proud of them… I told them, ‘I hope you’re not disappointed in second place because you guys won today.’ With the year that they’ve had and the struggles they’ve gone through, they won today.”

The team faced adversity all winter, losing senior Chloe Myer and juniors Ava Maves and Johanna Spielman to season-ending injuries.

Fellow senior Dylann Norrid also spent a large chunk of the season dealing with a hand fracture before returning for sections.

With so many starters sidelined, senior Kendra Miller was asked to handle all-around duties, leading from the front as the team’s most experienced gymnast.

However, the injuries still created holes in the lineup Miller could not fill as a solo act.

Younger gymnasts were asked to step in to huge spots, including freshman Ellie Blum, who joined Miller in the team’s all-around role heading into sections and state.

With the big meet looming, Owatonna knew that it was going to have to rely on some inexperienced underclassmen athletes to perform well in the clutch.

The Huskies began their state meet on the balance beam; the same event the team started on in sections where multiple Owatonna athletes fell.

According to Starks, nerves were a bit high going into the event, but the Huskies hardly looked the part en route to sticking five straight dismounts with zero falls.

Owatonna’s 36.050 points was the third highest total in the Class AA meet and put the team in a strong position to place high right from off the bat.

Leading the way for the Huskies was Blum’s 9.175-point routine, followed by Delia Neumann’s 9.050.

“When you get a good beam, it really sets the tone for the rest of the day. I think it was pretty much everything. The girls were excited and they were like, ‘OK, we had a really good start. Let’s keep this energy up,’” said Starks.

Owatonna took to the floor next were it scored 37.075 points for fourth place.

While the Huskies were not the meet leaders in any individual events, the team’s scoring consistency paid massive dividends in the final pointing, keeping the team competitive with the top of the pack throughout the day.

The floor was a massive boost for the team with all five Huskies scoring over nine points in the event.

Neumann led the team with a strong 9.400-point routine with Miller right behind at 9.375.

Paige Hullopeter scored a 9.175 and McKenna Edel added a 9.125 to round out scoring, leaving out another stellar 9.025-point performance by Blum in the scoring.

Through two events, Owatonna rounded up 73.125 points to lead Monticello (72.775) by .350 points halfway through the meet.

The Huskies hit the vault next and posted their best score of the day right when the team needed it most.

All four scoring Huskies once again surpassed nine points in each routine, with the day’s best point total belonging to Miller at 9.475.

Owatonna’s Hullopeter (9.325), Norrid (9.250) and Blum (9.175) were all closely in the mix as well.

The result was a 37.225-point showing that helped push the team’s score to 110.350 with only the uneven bars remaining.

While the Huskies’ vault added some much-needed points to the team’s total in a tight race with Monticello, the Magic made up ground on the floor by scoring a meet-best 37.925 to catch Owatonna and lead 110.700-110.350.

The uneven bars have traditionally been the Huskies’ lowest-scoring event of the four, and with the meet on the line, Owatonna could not point enough to hold off Monticello in the final event.

Despite a clean performance from all five athletes, Owatonna compiled 34.150 points while Monticello threw another meet-best score on the vault with 38.025.

The 3.875-point swing was the dagger in Owatonna’s hopes to defend its 2024-25 state championship title, but the team’s efforts were still enough to secure second place by .900 points.

Despite falling just short of another title, Owatonna athletes wore smiles on their faces instead of tears.

“We lost five varsity starters to injuries, which adds up to more than just five routines as well. It’s great to see what these girls can come out and accomplish, doing skills that they never thought they could do. It’s awesome to watch,” said Miller.

The youngers gymnasts also left impressions on their senior leaders.

“I think it was awesome to see these young gymnasts in their first or second years, step into these roles that they were sort of forced into. They truly thrived and flourished under this pressure and environment. Today showed it the best out of any meet. They stepped into today with confidence knowing that they’re just as deserving of these spots as anyone else,” said Norrid.

According to the two, the year is a testament to the coaching staff and developmental program of Owatonna gymnastics.

“I went to Owatonna Gymnastics Club starting at the age of three… They really build up your confidence and set you up for high school. When you get to high school, all you really have to do is clean up, and it sets us up for success,” said Miller.

State Individuals

Owatonna gymnastics also competed at the Class AA state individual tournament on Saturday, Feb. 21 with four gymnasts taking part.

The best finish of the day was earned by Neumann’s 9.275-point routine that scored eighth in the uneven bars event.

The Huskies’ Hullopeter was the most active of any Owatonna athlete, competing in three events out of four.

The eighth grader had a solid first showing by scoring 19^th in the floor exercise (9.400), 24^th in the vault (9.350), and 44^th on the uneven bars (8.275).

Also competing in multiple events was Miller, who scored 12^th in the vault (9.475) and 30^th on the floor (9.250).

Owatonna’s last participant was Blum, who scored an 8.875 on the balance beam for 30^th place in the event.

The conclusion of the state individual tournament officially marked the end of Owatonna gymnastics’ 2025-26 season.