By Matt Gade

605 Sports

CHAMBERLAIN — Quietly but over time, Chamberlain senior Kylah Biggins is leaving her mark on the Cubs gymnastics history books.

Biggins is one of two Cubs to ever win a gold at the state gymnastics meet in the Cubs’ program history.

As a junior, Biggins claimed Class A gold in the vault event at the state meet with a 9.4167 score. Beating Deuel’s Tai Engels’ 9.0667.

Not since 1987, when Chamberlain’s Jill Weber claimed gold in the uneven bars, had a Cub won a single event at state.

The 9.4167 also set a new school record, already held by Biggins. Biggins also holds school records in the bars, floor and all-around.

Those school records are due to hard work, dedication and a commitment to the sport, according to Chamberlain head coach April Reis.

“She drives herself to Mitchell for club year-round. She is in cross country, she's in gymnastics, and she does track, yet still does club through those seasons, and also has a job at the same time,” Reis said. “That's something I didn't know at first. It's not something she sits there and whines about, brags about, but she has a job. I only found out when I walked into a place where she was working.

“She is so dedicated to the sport, she is working this job while literally doing two sports at a time, all year, to make it so that she can do club to help pay for those expenses. And that is a true dedication to the sport.”

Since she started competing for the Chamberlain Cubs, Biggins has seen three different head coaches in that time, including Reis. 

Reis said she is impressed with Biggins’ willingness to stick it out with the different coaches and is an example to the younger girls on the team.

“She had an amazing coach. Sherri (Knippling) was very good, helped Kylie get her career where it is, and then all of a sudden, was with coaches that had never, I actually have never done gymnastics. I’ve just always had a love of gymnastics,” Reis said. “So thinking about how she kept going with us, she helped us, she trusted us, and kept going where most high school kids, I have to be honest, would probably be like, it would have been a good excuse to ‘Well, I’ve had a great high school career, but I lost my coach, so I’m done.’ But she didn’t, and I admire her for that.”

In less than three weeks, Biggins has the chance to be the first-ever Cub to win two golds.

Biggins is currently tied for first in the vault in Class A once again. 

Chamberlain's Kylah Biggins launches herself onto the vault during a quadrangular on Jan. 9 at the Mueller Center in Hot Springs. (Matt Gade/605 Sports)

Estelline/Hendricks’ Riah Hartung shares a score of 9.400 recorded this season to lead the field.

“It feels really good,” Biggins said of being just the second Cub to win at the state meet. “That's what I've worked for my whole career. And so it just feels really good knowing that I did accomplish that.”

Heading into last year’s state gymnastics meet, Biggins was the top gymnast in the All-Around with a 37.500, but finished fifth with a 35.9667.

Biggins said she felt she peaked too soon last season, instead of progressively getting better as the season went on.

“It was an amazing feeling,” Biggins said of winning. “I didn't know I won it. I just knew that I had a really good vault. I had seen all the Mitchell girls up there in the stands cheering for me. And so I kind of gave them a little heart after I was done, and then all my Chamberlain teammates were cheering for me. 

“I seen, I think, (coaches) April (Reis) and Keely (Reis-Elwood) both coming down the vault runway, and they just had huge smiles on their faces because my scores had come up, and I broke the school record again. And then they told me that I had won state. And so I think I just cried because I was just so happy, because I had a really bad fall on the beam. So I was just glad that I was able to come back and finish strong.”

This year, Biggins said things have been progressing how she wants.

“It feels a little different than last year. Last year I was ranked first going in, but I'm feeling like I'm in a good spot right now and just excited to improve more,” Biggins said. “You don't want to peak at the beginning of the season. You want to peak when it counts the most. So I've just kind of been improving week by week.”

Gymnastics isn’t the only sport Biggins has found success in. Biggins has been part of Chamberlain’s cross-country teams that finished as Class A runners-up when she was in the eighth, ninth, and tenth grades. Biggins finished her senior year in the medal awards with a 24th-place finish. Biggins has also been a part of multiple relay teams on the Cub track and field team, placing at the state meet.

When asked which sport she likes better, Biggins said it’s gymnastics. The floor, especially, is her favorite event.

“Running sucks,” Biggins said with a laugh. “Gymnastics is just so much more performative. You get to show all your skills off, everything you've worked for.”

Biggins, who has been doing club-level gymnastics since fourth grade out of MEGA gymnastics in Mitchell, said her biggest growth has been on the mental side of the sport.

“I've always kind of had some strong feelings, and I don't like failing, but you can't do gymnastics and not expect to fail, so I think I've grown in that aspect and been able to handle my failures a little better.”

With three meets left before the state meet on Feb. 13-14 in Mitchell, Biggins is currently seeded third in the Class A all-around, second on the beam, third on the bars and fifth on the floor.

Biggins said she will finish out her gymnastics career with her club team after the high school season, but won’t be doing any sports as she plans to attend the University of South Dakota in the fall.

“She is humble. She doesn't brag on herself…” Reis said. “I'm proud of how she has had a tumultuous high school career with coaches, and she has still persevered. She has worked hard, not just physically, but mentally. She has come a long way with this game, and she deserves to be able to leave her mark. And I think it is a mark with the scores that she has. It's a mark that'll last a long time, and she's earned that.”

Chamberlain's Kylah Biggins dismounts from the bars while competing during a quadrangular on Jan. 9 at the Mueller Center in Hot Springs. (Matt Gade/605 Sports)