Sports Spotlight: Amy Fridley – Level 10 gymnastics

DICKINSON, N.D. (KFYR) - Dickinson High senior Amy Fridley won the vault at the USA Gymnastics Western Championships last year, setting her on a path to Level 10 — the highest level in the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics Program. She has improved so much that competing for her high school team would have been a step back.

Fridley is one of the best gymnasts in North Dakota. She started competing for the Midgets in 7th grade. After winning multiple team and individual state titles, Fridley elected to forgo her senior season and concentrate on Level 10.

“Honestly, it’s something I just kind of knew from a young age. I just fell in love with being at the gym and practicing here, so I kind of became pretty serious about it quickly, like in my 7th grade year. By my sophomore year, I knew that I wanted to do college gymnastics. I just love being able to come in here and do my own thing, to be able to be my own person here. I just enjoy every second of it,” said Fridley.

Level 10 is preparing Fridley for college, and so is the fact she’s in the gym practicing five days a week for hours on end.

“I’m a very ambitious person. If I set a goal, I’m going to get there. I have competed three vaults that no one in Dickinson has competed before. One, that’s just because vault comes very natural to me, but also I have worked super hard to get to the point that I am at in vault and in every other event,” said Fridley.

“She is just a workhorse. I mean she just puts on rep after rep after rep and most of the time, I have to tell her she needs to stop, otherwise, she’ll just keep going,” said Casey Berry, Dickinson’s gymnastics coach.

“Honestly, I never thought that college gymnastics was in my future because I just didn’t think that I was able to get to that level. But after I realized that just a little bit of extra hard work would get me there, that I could do it, that’s all it took,” said Fridley.

It was not an easy decision to forgo her senior season. Competing at Level 10 meant Fridley wouldn’t be alongside her high school teammates. She’ll have to wait until college to experience the team atmosphere again.

“When I told the team I wasn’t doing high school, they were more supportive than I could’ve asked for. I’m sure it was hard losing a teammate for Level 10, but I’m just thankful that they supported me in my decisions, and Casey supporting me too, and my parents along the way too,” said Fridley.

Fridley will continue her gymnastics career at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

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