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MAPLE PLAIN – Sixteen gymnasts from Maple Plain’s North Shore Gymnastics Boys Team competed at the 2014 Boys’ Regional IV Championships April 4-6 at the University of Iowa on.
More than 500 qualifying boys from six states, including Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota participated in the meet hosted by Hawkeye Gymnastics of Iowa City, IA.
One Level 8 NSGA gymnast came away with the first-place all-around medal, and two gymnasts qualified to compete at the Junior Olympics Nationals May 6-11 in Long Beach, CA.
NSGA’s Level 10 gymnast Levi Gustafson (age 16, Bryant, SD) competed in the age 15-16 category, and won the fifth-place medal on floor. As a result of his strong finish, he qualified to compete on floor at the Junior Olympics Nationals.
The NSGA Level 8 boys team finished fifth with a score of 207.850.
Daryn Strub (age 12, Howard Lake) competed in the age 11-12 category and won first place in the all-around with a score of 76.150. Strub finished first on floor, vault and parallel bars, and was second on pommel horse, fifth on high bar, and sixth on rings. With his first place all-around finish, Strub qualified to compete in all events at the Junior Olympics Nationals.
Strub’s teammate, Josh Fix (age 15, Maple Plain), competed in the age 15-16 category. He was only able to compete in four events due to an injury.
Fix finishished second in all four events — pommel horse, rings, vault and parallel bars.
Sam Senneka (age 13, Mound) competed in the age 13-14 group, and placed twelfth in vault, thirteenth in high bar and 15th in pommel horse.
Charlie Kramer (age 12, Minnetrista), also had a strong meet and helped with the team’s strong finish.
Level 7 gymnast Kyle Elliott (age 11, Minnetonka Beach) placed third on vault, 14th on floor and 15th on parallel bars.
Elliott’s teammate Max Bortnem (age 12, Minnetrista) finished fifth on vault.
NSGA’s Level 6 gymnast Cole Smith (age 10, Orono), placed 13th on pommel horse in the age 11-plus category. His teammate, Jack Yerxa (age 11, Buffalo), competed in the same age group and had a strong meet.
The NSGA Level 5 boys team finished sixth with a score of 163.700. In the age 10 category, William Wehmann (age 10, Independence) placed 10th in rings and 14th in pommel horse. Competing in the same age category, Haden Paravecino (age 10, Mound) finished 14th in floor.
In the Level 5 age 8 group, Mac Harmer (age 8, Minnetrista) placed second in vault and sixth in rings. Levi Sherman (age 8, Maple Plain), competed in the same age group and finished eleventh in vault and fifteenth in floor. In the age 7 group, Henry Meisel (age 8, Mound) placed eleventh in parallel bars, 13th in high bar, 14th in vault and 15th in pommel horse. Teammate Jacob Carlson (age 8, Victoria) also had a strong meet and contributed to the team’s overall score.
