Sisters Reunite on Gymnastics Team for Senior Year

When Sutton Van Gilder wanted something for her senior year, she didn't hold back. She convinced her younger sister Gradee to return to gymnastics after a year on the dance team, and now the siblings are making the most of their only season together on Jamestown High School's Blue Jays.

The two sisters are among eight gymnasts competing for their North Dakota school this winter. For Sutton, having her sister back means more than just family time—it means having her biggest motivator by her side.

"Gradee has always motivated me to be better," Sutton said. She explained how her younger sister's determination to perfect new skills keeps pushing her forward.

Gradee started gymnastics at age 3, following in her older sister's footsteps. This season marks her first year on the varsity roster, and she's already making her mark with an average vault score of 8.783, ranking her 29th in the state.

The reunion is paying off for both athletes. Sutton currently ranks sixth in the state in all-around competition with an average of 36.283 points. She's scored above a 9.0 on floor and vault consistently this season—a major improvement from last year.

On vault, Sutton performs a challenging skill called a Tsukahara, involving a round-off entry followed by a back somersault. She learned it as a freshman and now executes it with a pike shape. The move carries real risk—land wrong and you could hit your head or sting your ankles.

The season hasn't been without struggles. Sutton faced a mental block on uneven bars early on but recently overcame it. She's now ranked 12th in the state on bars with the team's highest average score of 8.850.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story shine isn't just the impressive scores or state rankings. It's watching two sisters choose each other when they could have taken separate paths. Gradee gave up dance to return to gymnastics, and now they're competing side by side, pushing each other to be better.

"We compete with each other and we really push each other to be better," Gradee said. Their friendly rivalry at practice—racing to master new skills first—has made both of them stronger athletes.

For one winter season in Jamestown, these sisters get to share the beam, the vault, and the victory of doing something they love together.