After finishing fourth in sections last season, the Orono Girls Gymnastics team is excelling through their close team chemistry by supporting one another in practices and competitions. The team is led by captains Mackenzie Funke and Greta Schmitt.

Both the varsity and JV teams practice Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for two to two-and-a-half hours at North Shore Gymnastics Association in Maple Plain. Wednesday is a varsity-only practice. At practice, the girls work on perfecting the four events in competitions; floor exercise, balance beam, vault, and uneven bars.

Senior Marissa Esterberg has been a member of the team since freshman year, and has continued to be involved because of the “super close” bond she shares with the girls and the encouragement she receives when trying a new skill. Attempting a new trick “takes a lot of guts, but having the team there to cheer me on helps a lot,” said Esterberg.

At competitions, gymnasts receive individual scores to contribute to a team score. The “top four of five individual scores are added to generate the team score” said Esterberg. Each event is scored on a 10.0 difficulty scale, however it is extremely rare to achieve a 10 at the high school level. Judges deduct points for a variety of mishaps, from routine errors to poor form and attire malfunctions, such as revealing undergarments, donning earrings, or having painted nails.

While senior Mackenzie Funke thinks that “being judged” during the competitions is the scariest part of gymnastics, many Orono gymnasts are most afraid of attempting new skills and the danger that the tricks entail.

The sport of gymnastics requires a combination of being fearless as well as being cautious, too. Sophomore Heather Alton is careful when trying new tricks because “making a small incorrect move can make you injure yourself.” To avoid potential injuries, gymnasts “must be extra balanced,” said Alton.

Alton, a member on the team since seventh grade, has stuck with the sport because gymnastics is “good exercise, a challenge and [because] it is fun to do all of the events.”

At four inches wide, the balance beam is a daunting component to the sport of gymnastics. While some fear the beam because of the risky skills that it requires, girls on the Orono team have a certain affinity for it.

“I have a love-hate relationship with the beam, but in the end, it is my best event and definitely my favorite,” said Esterberg.

Funke shares a similar liking for the beam. It is her favorite even though “it’s scary, and that’s why I like it,” said Funke.

Whether fearlessly conquering the beam or tumbling across the floor, the Orono Girls Gymnastics team relies on the encouraging “team atmosphere that [the girls] create” said senior Greta Schmitt.

No matter the outcome of a competition, the team tries to stick together. “I know that I can always have them to lean on. They’re my second family,” said Funke.

Margeaux Dittrich is the Arts & Entertainment Editor for The Spartan Speaks.