I really never anticipated ever typing the word "Oboshinotentoten." In fact, until this weekend I had never heard the word "Oboshinotentoten." And don't you dare ask me to pronounce it.
According to a Google search conducted from the Xcel Energy Center press box Saturday evening during the girls state hockey tournament, "Oboshinotentoten" is a hand-clapping game that's played in a circle.
Now that I can confirm.
Let's retrace our steps and walk down a hallway from the Xcel Energy Center to Roy Wilkins Auditorium. That was the site of the state gymnastics championships Friday and Saturday … making the weekend quite convenient for anyone wanting to see both tournaments. A few minutes before Friday's Class A (small-school) team competition began in the 88-year-old showplace, all the gymnasts were having fun together.
Normally, you might expect to see athletes pacing, stretching, going through their routines … you know, being nervous as heck. Not these kids from Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Mankato West, Worthington, St. Paul Highland Park, Watertown-Mayer/Mound Westonka, Willmar, Big Lake and Perham.
Every one of them was sitting in a big circle on a concrete floor in an area that was off limits to the fans. They were all smiling and singing, "Oboshinotentoten, hey, hey, I am a boom, boom, boom, Eeny meeny oten toten, Oboshinotentoten Oboshinotentoten boom 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!" There was hand clapping and hand slapping involved, and it was quite remarkable to watch.
Then the time came for each team to be introduced, and one by one the squads walked through a gap in a big black curtain to the fans' cheers.
Now let's fast forward to about 27 hours later. The team competition was Friday and the individual events and all-around titles were decided Saturday. During the Class A awards ceremony Saturday, more remarkability was witnessed.
As the medalists were being named in each event, veteran public-address announcer Allie Cronk announced that there was a tie for second place on the uneven bars. As she said the words "From Detroit Lakes, Jackson Hegg" and "From Perham, Jada Olsen" … well, there was a sparkling moment of sportsmanship and friendship.
Jackson and Jada – like all the gymnasts, sitting with their teams in the floor exercise area – stood up and instantly gravitated to each other. They held hands as they bounced toward the podium, jumped up on the second-place spot and hugged one of the most beautiful hugs you'll ever see. They smiled the entire time.
And then came the capper. In the all-around competition, the final award of the meet, Jackson wore that same giant smile when she was announced as the second-place finisher. She returned to that same No. 2 spot on the podium and a silver medal was placed around her neck.
And then, the all-around champion was announced. It was her friend, Jada Olsen of Perham. Jackson stood on the podium and cheered, positively roared, in approval as Jada walked up to the podium. Another hug and more great big beautiful smiles followed.
In fact, everyone was smiling.
Oboshinotentoten to us all.
--See photo of the Oboshinotentoten circle on the MSHSL Facebook page.
MSHSL gymnastics individual championships
Class A top three
All-Around
1 Jada Olsen, Perham
2 Jackson Hegg, Detroit Lakes
3 Becca Green, Annandale
Vault
1 Jada Olsen, Perham
2 Chloe Hughes, Winona/Winona Cotter
3 Alayna Schloeder, Rockford
Beam
1 Becca Green, Annandale
2 Taryn Sellner, Mankato West
3 Jackson Hegg, Detroit Lakes
Floor Exercise
1 Jackson Hegg, Detroit Lakes
2 Alayna Schloeder, Rockford
3 Jada Olsen, Perham
Bars
1 Becca Green, Annandale
2 (tie) Jackson Hegg, Detroit Lakes
2 (tie) Jada Olsen, Perham
Class AA top three
All-Around
1 Bella Frattalone, Mahtomedi
2 Annika Lee, Park Center
3 Nadia Abid, Maple Grove
Vault
1 Bella Frattalone, Mahtomedi
2 Taylar Schaefer, St. Cloud Tech
3 Marley Michaud, Sartell-St. Stephen
Beam
1 Nadia Abid, Maple Grove
2 Kaitlyn Nguyen, Lakeville North
3 Hailey Tretter, East Ridge
Floor Exercise
1 Bella Frattalone, Mahtomedi
2 Grace Treanor, Wayzata
3 Annika Lee, Park Center
Bars
1 Anna Altermatt, Lakeville North
2 Annika Lee, Park Center
3 Marley Michaud, Sartell-St. Stephen
Girls state hockey tournament
Saturday's Class A games
Fifth place: Hutchinson 5, South St. Paul 3
Third place: Warroad 6, Rochester Lourdes 1
Championship: Breck 6, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton 0
Class A Wells-Fargo All-Tournament Team
Lilie Ramirez, South St. Paul
Alex Hantge, Hannah Ladwig, Hutchinson
Sydney Phaneuf, Geno Hendrickson, Karlie Meeker, Warroad
Tenley Stewart, Taylor Nelson, Araya Kiminski, Cloquet-Esko Carlton
Olivia Mobley, Ava Lindsay, Emily Zumwinkle, Breck
Class A Herb Brooks Award winner
Taylor Nelson, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton
Saturday's Class AA games
Fifth place: Roseau 4, Hill-Murray 0
Third place: Minnetonka 3, Maple Grove 1
Championship: Andover 5, Edina 3
Class AA Wells-Fargo All-Tournament Team
Memphis Mertens, Roseau
Brooke Cassibo, Maple Grove
Hanna Baskin, Maggie Nicholson, Brynn Dulac, Minnetonka
Peyton Hemp, Jamie Nelson, Kennedy Little, Gabby Krause, Andover
Tella Jungels, Hannah Chorske, Vivian Jungles, Edina
Class AA Herb Brooks Award winner
Anika Stoskopf, Roseau
--Follow John on Twitter @MSHSLjohn, listen to "Preps Today with John Millea" wherever you get podcasts and hear him on Minnesota Public Radio.