B/KMS completes one of best gymnastics seasons in team history

By Sam Peterson
Swift County Monitor
It was a season of firsts for the Benson/KMS girls gymnastics team. It was the first year under co-head coaches Karly Meixel and Kris Noble and it was the first team in 31 years to qualify for the state tournament as a team. After years of knocking on the door at the section tournament, Benson/KMS finally kicked the door in this year, taking down New London-Spicer and qualifying for state for the first time since 1994.
It may have been the first year as co-head coaches for Meixel and Noble, but these two were no strangers to the Benson/KMS gymnasts. Both coaches have been with these same athletes for the past five years and Meixel and Noble have worked closely together over that time period, which made the transition of taking over after 25-year coach Kathy Ahrndt a much smoother transition. “We know each other’s strengths and how to complement one another, which has allowed us to build a cohesive coaching dynamic. Our shared vision for the team, combined with our individual coaching styles has really helped create a positive and effective environment for our athletes,” coach Meixel said.
While the team does not officially have school records, the team could have possibly set new records on the beam with 36.05, vault with 36.3 and floor with 37.575. The high team score of the season came Jan. 16 against Melrose when the team finished with a score of 139.3.
The Benson/KMS gymnastics team has been one of the most competitive programs over recent years, but have always just missed out on a chance at state as a team, being in the same section as New London-Spicer. This season, it came down to the wire at the Section 6A meet in a battle with NLS, and neither team knew who the winner was when the scores were announced. Benson/KMS finally earned the top spot in the section meet with a win by just 1.025 points to advance to the state tournament as a team for the first time in 31 seasons. Sophie Hilleren, Gwen Wilcox and Lexi Hoberg also made state as individuals for the second time in their careers. “Getting to the state tournament is a huge accomplishment and a testament to their commitment and teamwork. Each athlete contributed in their own way, and watching them grow both individually and as a team was one of the highlights of the season,” Meixel said.

For more on this story, support community journalism and subscribe to the Swift County Monitor-News.