Packer gymnasts are hoping for individual titles at state meet

Published 10:03 pm Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Sela Fadness

The Packers will have a chance at crowning their first individual state champion in 10 years at the Class ‘A’ individual state gymnastics meet at the University of Minnesota Sports Pavilion at 11 a.m. in Minneapolis Saturday.

Carolyn Hackel

The Packers are sending all-arounders, sophomore Sela Fadness and freshman Abby Bickler, to the meet and freshman Carolyn Hackel will compete in floor and bars with eighth grader Logan Tischer competing in floor.

Fadness took 10th in the all-around and third in the floor when she went to state as an eighth grader in 2010 and Bickler was expecting to do well last year at state, but an injury prevented her from going full speed on her floor routine.

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This year, Austin head coach Mark Raymond is hoping Fadness and Bickler gymnasts can contend to finish near the top.

“Both had really good years and both are good enough to place extremely high in the state meet,” Raymond said. “They don’t have a weak event and they’re going to score a nine or better on all four events. I think both of them have a chance to win a state tournament in their careers and this year might be the year.”

Austin’s last state champ was current assistant coach Amy “Bickler” Hajek, who won the floor in 2002. Austin has never had an all-around state champion.

Fadness won the Big Nine meet and the Section 1A meet this season, but she’s trying not to worry too much about the individual state meet.

Abby Bickler

“I’m focused on Friday first and hopefully the team can finish in the top five. On Saturday I’m just hoping to throw out my best routines and sit back and see what happens,” Fadness said. “When the state meet comes I’ll be a nervous wreck, but right now I’m pumped.”

Bickler, who finished second in the all-around at the Section 1A meet, is just happy that she’s entering the state meet with a chance to compete healthy.

“I just want to have a good day,” Bickler said. “I know where I can be and I expect myself to throw the best routines I can. Knowing that I can actually compete in this meet is pushing me.”

The 2012 field includes 10 returning medal-winners, including Mikayla Dockendorf of Sartell-St. Stephen, who took second in floor last year. Hailey Brinkman of Melrose is the only returning medal winner in the all-around competition as she took third last season.

Raymond said he knows from experience that you never know for sure what’s going to happen at the individual state meet.

“When I coached a state champ (in the past), we knew we had a chance and that was it,” Raymond said. “This year we’ve tweaked their routines to where we think we’ve got them down, but you’ve still got four other people that are going to give you an opinion on what they see.”

Logan Tischer