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PRESS & DAKOTAN / PLAIN TALK FALL SPORTS 2012 PAGE 3 Gazelles Cheer Hungry For More After Runner-Up Finish BY JAMES D. CIMBUREK james.cimburek@yankton.net After coming just a half-point shy of first in their division at state a year ago, the Yankton Gazelles competitive cheer squad is looking to build on that success. The Gazelles return nine seniors from a team that finished just behind Aberdeen Central in the stunting/non-tumbling large group division and fifth in the overall standings. Those seniors have been key to keeping the team working hard during those tough first weeks of practice, according to co-coach Angie Luken. Our seniors have been absolutely fantastic with their leadership, said Luken, who has shared coaching duties with Kerry Svatos since competitive cheer became a sanctioned sport in South Dakota in 2007. We ve been able to put our routine together more quickly, which we need to because of the earlier start of the season. Seniors for the Gazelles include Savannah Chambers, Kayle Diefenderfer, Noemi Nino, Morgan Privett, Logan Ramey, Cyndal Sathe, Allyssa Schroeder, Regan Specht and Michaela Trail. The Gazelles have typically had nearly a GAZELLES: 2011 Yankton Dance Team Jazz Routine month of practice before taking the floor at the Yankton Invitational. This year, the Watertown Invitational pops up on the schedule a full two weeks ahead of Yankton s event. Luken, though, considers the changed schedule a positive for several reasons. Normally we get four or five weeks (before the first event), and that gets to be too long, she said. This year we go to a compeBY JAMES D. CIMBUREK Payton Pierce, Kirsten May, Alicia tition after three weeks, which has focused james.cimburek@yankton.net Gregoire and Keeley Kleinsasser. the kids and focused us (coaches). We ve The team began practice on started cleaning up our routine sooner. A veteran lineup will look to July 30 with an emphasis on the Having the first event be away from home GAZELLES: 2011 Yankton Cheer Squad put the Yankton Gazelles dance fundamentals. also has its advantages. team over the top in its annual We want to make sure our I think (opening away from home) is good are new to cheer everyone else has either tweaking, she said. They ve learned to struggle with Sioux Falls Washskills are up to par, Mueller said. for the kids, Luken said. There are a lot of been with us or River City Cheer. The kids alstreamline things, make them as safe as posington. We want to get every skill finenerves when we are at home. Last year we ready know a lot of the basics. sible for the kids. There is a good flow to Washington has won the state tuned so that it shows through got disqualified at home because we hadn t Juniors for the Gazelles include Brooke state at this point. dance title each of the past four during our performances. worked out all the kinks. This year we can Lange, Jessica Popovich and Gabrielle SwenThe Gazelles go into the Aug. 28 debut in seasons, but the Gazelles have reThe Gazelles will begin their work out the kinks before the home crowd son. Bailey Franzen, Jessica Kotschegarow Watertown with the goal of building towards mained right on their heals. season earlier than they have in can see them. and Kelsey Rokahr are sophomores. Jenna the top of their division. Washington is always years past, as they will open Aug. Another change for the Gazelles is the Trail is the lone freshman on the roster. We have a good routine that needs a lot strong, said Yankton head coach 28 in Watertown instead of at the ability to bring in young athletes who have of polishing and work at this point, Luken Tiffany Mueller. They did lose Sept. 8 Yankton Invitational. The cheer experience. A third of this year s squad Eighth graders include Cheree Becvar, Britney Bradwisch, Kaitlin Guthmiller, Elle said. But our degree of difficulty to start the some seniors from a year ago, so schedule change, though, has its has trailed with River City Cheer in Yankton Hiltunen and Kolbi Kennedy. season is higher than it has been in a couple we re not sure how that will play advantages. during the off-season, including several Other than changes to the starting and of years. That s because of the experience we out, but they re always strong I think it will be good to go eighth graders who are in their first year of ending dates state is now Oct. 20 in Water- have. competition. somewhere else for the first competition with YHS. town there were only minor changes to the While the Gazelles have meet, Mueller said. We ll have a We re not as green (to start the season) You can follow James D. Cimburek on Twitrules for this season, according to Luken. looked up at Washington in retrial run before we come home to as we have been in previous years, Luken ter at twitter.com/ aceman904 The changes come down to some basic cent years, they ve also seen the compete. We can see how the said. We only have three on the team that rest of the pack edge closer in girls handle it. their rear view. Another change is a shorter The other schools are getting season. Instead of ending the seastronger, Mueller said. son in November, on the same Yankton will again look to weekend as the state football fikeep itself near the top of the nals, the Gazelles will compete at state dance ladder thanks to a state on Oct. 20, a full three graders Mimi Garcia, Anne Knoff group that includes eight seniors weeks sooner. and Abby Van Osdel competing and four juniors. Seniors include After the long season took its for varsity and junior varsity poFrae Binder, Alyssa Klimisch, Jotoll on athletes toward the end of sitions. celyn Moon, Mackenzie Larson, last season, the Gazelles are not The Gazelles have proven willPaige Medick, Jessica Wintertaking any chances even with ing to put in hard work to imringer, Sarah Pearson and Katie the season being three weeks BY JAMES D. CIMBUREK prove, even volunteering to have Kotschegarow. Juniors on the shorter. james.cimburek@yankton.net two-a-day practices during the squad are Hailey Luken, Mariah One of the things we are first week of the preseason. In adLaCroix, Lillie Tacke and Elsie Ko- doing is making sure we re EDITOR S NOTE: This article dition, Rockne and Rothenberger talik. stretching well, Mueller said. originally appeared in the Aug. 17 have both been working to rehab Practices are going really We ve been working on condiedition of the Press & Dakotan. It major injuries from the off-seawell, said Mueller, in her first tioning to keep everyone healthy. has been updated to reflect the onson. Larsen expects that hard season as head coach. We have Hopefully we won t have as many going season. work to continue. a lot of strong leaders, so we injuries. Having 12 players in competishould be as competitive as we With just one senior and one tion means that anybody could have been in years past. You can follow James D. Cimjunior among the dozen girls in step up and challenge for a varAlso on the roster are sophoburek on Twitter at practice for the Yankton Gazelles, sity position, she said. It s more Beth Pearson and freshmen twitter.com/ aceman904 the squad won t take a lot of exgoing to make everyone better perience to the court when they knowing that someone could opened the girls tennis team on challenge for their spot. Aug. 17. But coach Ginger Larsen The lineup for early matchups Mason Sundleaf also returns after expects that the experience the will probably not look like the playing varsity a year ago. Gazelles gain along with the lineup that takes the court for The Bucks will host the ESD experience they return will get the state tournament, Oct. 4-6 in Championships at Fox Run this them ready to go by the time Rapid City. From Page 2 fall, a event they hope to make a state rolls around in early Octo The first couple of weeks are run at. ber. going to be a feeling out period, Being able to play at home is The Gazelles opened the seaLarsen said. We re looking for We were trying to be in the nice, Sime said. When we made son 1-2 in a quadrangular held continued improvement and a top half of the conference, and our run of ESD Championships a Aug. 17-18 at the YHS/SAC Tennis good attitude when they step on we got fourth, said Yankton head few years back it started at Courts. the court. coach Brett Sime. We were tryhome. Senior Sarah Santos, junior The Gazelles will be looking to ing to finish in the top eight at What also started during that build back the squad after gradustate, but in the back of the mind time was a run of six straight top- Taylor Rothenberger and sophomore Sarah Rockne return with ating four players from a team we were shooting for the top six. three finishes at state, a run the that placed eighth in the state That propelled a lot of kids to Bucks would like to restart as well. experience from last year s squad. Rockne finished third at tournament a year ago. go out and play a lot of golf this O Gorman is going to be reflight five singles, and teamed We were about the only team summer, to improve on what we ally good. They are probably the with Rothenberger to advance to that lost a big chunk of its lineup, did last year. team to beat in the state, Sime the consolation finals at flight Larsen said. We ll see where All six of the Bucks state tour- said. Pierre didn t lose a lot of three doubles. Santos competed we re at after this weekend. nament golfers from a year ago kids, and Stevens is always at flight six singles. returned. Junior Ben Jensen, who tough. GAZELLES: Sarah Rockne We ve got a good nucleus, You can follow James D. Cimwas on the Bucks tourney team But Yankton could be in that Larsen said. They ve come in burek on Twitter at in 2010 but was hurt last season, mix as well, Sime noted. Besides the three returning Bryan, Kim Cap, Kaitlyn Frank with great attitudes. We do not twitter.com/ aceman904 is also back this season. We have a group that will letterwinners, Yankton has soph- and Madeleine Logue, eighth have a lot of experience, but Jace (Guthmiller) has played hope will want to contend for omores Jaclyn Arens, Alexa grader Anna Kokesh and seventh we ve got great leadership. in three state tournaments, Mitch conference and state titles, and (Schlingman) has played in two, are willing to work for it, he said. Sime said. Everyone else has Yankton opened the season played in at least one, and they with a third place tie at the Lynx I ve been running them a lot this But with the change in all played in a lot of summer Invitational, hosted by Brandon summer, she said. I just feel like scenery, coach Dannenbring events. They have a lot of tourna- Valley High School. Guthmiller it will prepare me for some thinks hill training Tuesdays are ment experience. led Yankton, shooting a 71 to tie courses to come. also a way to shake up the daily Besides Jensen, the Bucks refor fifth. From Page 1 PO Box 248 214 N. Broadway For Yankton, the 2012 season routine and have some fun with turn juniors Lane Sawatzke, Branhas no less expectation than to the team. Hartington, NE 68739 don Frick and Logan Megard. You can follow James D. Cimbe the top team once again, espe We get those hard runs in Guthmiller and Schlingman are (402) 254-3549 Even after her graduation this burek on Twitter at cially since the state meet will be every week at a beautiful place, returning sophomores. Freshman twitter.com/ aceman904 www.steffendrug.com past May, Grossenburg still plans held in Huron, a fairly hilly course we stop at the Dairy Dock on the on utilizing the trails to train. Excompared to others in the state. way back and have ice cream, cept this time for the Division I We think by running those and call it a great day. level as she will be continuing her hills, we are going to increase our running career as a Jackrabbit at Hart. Cedar Cath. Trojans Football strength, increase our downhill South Dakota State University technique, and it s going to help 8/31 Oakland-Craig H 9/28 Lutheran High NE A this fall, competing in both cross us on that one day we need to Hartington Wildcats Football Laurel-Concord-Coleridge A 10/5 9/7 Battle Creek H country and track and field. run good on October 20 at the 9/14 Ponca H 10/12 West Holt A I think it should help because state meet, Dannenbring said. 8/24 Humphrey A 9/28 Winnebago A Senior-Laden Dance Squad Set For Run At Warriors Tennis: Young Gazelles Squad Takes The Court Yankton Has One Senior, One Junior On The Roster YHS Golf Trails 9/21 Crofton H 10/18 Wisner-Pilger H Hart. Cedar Cath. Trojans Volleyball 8/30 9/1 9/4 9/6-8 9/11 9/13 9/15 9/18 9/20 Battle Creek/Humphrey St. Francis Battle Creek Scotus Tourn. Columbus Madison/Crofton Crofton Wakefield Inv. Wakefield Norfolk Catholic H Lutheran High NE H Stanton Tourn. Stanton Pierce A Randolph A 9/25 9/27 10/9 10/11 Battle Creek H Guardian Angels CC A O Neill St. Mary s A Boone Central-Newman Grove H 10/16 Emerson-Hubbard/ Wakefield H 10/19 Wayne/O Neill Wayne 10/22-26 Mid-State Conf. Norfolk/Pierce Hartington Shopper Hartington, NE (402) 254-7471 Check out this week s advertising in the Hartington Shopper or at our Web site: www.hartingtonshopper.com FARMERS & MERCHANTS STATE BANK We Have A Way With Money Bloomfield, NE 402-373-4321 www.fandmstatebank.com Branches in Hartington, Crofton, Center & Niobrara 8/31 9/7 9/22 Bloomfield Wynot Allen H H A 10/5 10/12 10/19 Pender Randolph Emerson-Hubbard H H A Hartington Wildcats Volleyball 8/30 9/1 9/4 9/11 9/15 9/18 9/20 9/25 Wynot Tourn. Wynot Howells Tourn. Howells Wausa H Wynot H Creighton Tourn. Creighton Bloomfield A Osmond A Wausa/Wakefield Wakefield 9/27 10/2 10/4 10/8 10/11 10/13 10/16 10/22-26 Plainview A Laurel-Concord-Coleridge A Allen H Randolph A Ponca/Walthill Ponca Hartington Tourn. Hartington Winside H Lewis & Clark Conf. TBD
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Senior-Laden Dance Squad Set For Run At Warriors
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Gazelles Cheer Hungry For More After Runne-Up Finish
Gazelles Cheer Hungry For More After Runne-Up Finish
Tennis: Young Gazelles Squad Takes The Court
YHS Golf cont.
Trails cont.
Hartington Trojans Football/Volleyball
Hartington Wildcats Football/Volleyball
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Phone: 402-254-7471
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