Gymnastics meet to bring area's best to Lakeville North

Seven of the top 10 teams in Class 2A, including Nos. 1-5, will be represented Saturday at the Lakeville North gymnastics meet.

"It's pretty much like the state meet, just halfway through the season," first-year Eden Prairie coach Jacenta Spandl said. "It's a good check to see where we are and what we need to improve on. It's going to be a great meet with great competition."

The presence of top-ranked Roseville followed in ranking order by Stillwater, St. Cloud Tech, Lakeville South and Cambridge-Isanti makes this a must-see meet. For good measure, No. 8 Eden Prairie and No. 10 Winona will also be on hand, and eight other teams.

Spandl said the hard part for the Eagles -- the routines, the skills and keeping healthy -- is through. Now it's time for nitpicking.

"The flow of the routines, the pointed toes and the bent legs," she said. "That's what we're onto now."

Roseville, which is nationally ranked, is the favorite, Spandl said. But she sees the Eagles right up there with the rest of the competition.

"Minus [Roseville] it's pretty close," she said. "We should be pretty fresh for this meet. If we show up with team unity and a lot of enthusiasm, I think we'll be all right."

Forty teams from three states competed in the Maroon and Gold boys' swimming and diving invitational at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center last Saturday, hosted by Minneapolis South.

In the gold division, Edina's victory in the 400-yard freestyle -- the night's final event -- sealed a 10.5-point victory over Minnetonka.

Aside from that winning event, Edina also had victories from Drew Johnson in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly, Doug Eden in the 100-yard breaststroke and as a team in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Johnson anchored both relay teams.

Wayzata won the maroon division.