Meadows' Scallon rides horse to crown; Hoersten takes 2 titles

FRANKFORT - One very big question loomed heading into Saturday night's finals of the 59th annual IHSA boys state gymnastics meet at Lincoln-Way East.

Would Rolling Meadows senior John Scallon realize his dream of becoming the state pommel horse champion?

Scallon answered the question with a resounding yes - performing a stellar routine that included the one-handed "Sohn" move - and taking the crown with a 9.75.

"Coming into state from sectionals it was a four-way tie with a 9.65 and the top five are just great," said Scallon, who had hit a preliminary score of 9.75 earlier in the day and will compete at Minnesota next year. "It's a huge relief, because last year I hit but it was sketchy and it was a fight to stay on. But tonight was the best I've done."

In the vault finals, Stevenson junior Alex Hoersten soared to a state title with a 9.55. He outdistanced Conant's Anthony Crivolio, Neuqua Valley's Jake Hartman and Lincoln-Way co-op's Isaac Kruspe, who tied for second with 9.5.

"The team competition on Friday made us all feel really good and tonight we had medalists on every event," said Hoersten, who qualified for the finals on four events, grabbing a share of the parallel bars title, taking second on floor exercise (9.55) and fifth on horse (9.25). "I was hoping to win vault because that is the one I was really going for and just to be with the whole team it feels good."

Hoersten (9.6) tied for first place on parallel bars with York's Caleb Strejc. UIC-bound Stevenson senior Lukasz Adamczyk placed third on parallel bars with a 9.55 after a close runner-up finish on horse (9.65).

Also on rings, Conant freshman Joey Mauk (9.35) was fifth, Fremd's Brandon Trostrud (9.1) tied for seventh and Crivolio (8.7) placed 10th.

Barrington senior Kellen O'Connor took fourth on floor exercise with 9.5, his fourth straight state medal in the event. O'Connor had placed third as a freshman, seventh as a sophomore and fifth as a junior for three state medals.

"Obviously medaling is a big deal and I was hoping to win, but at the same time you can not complain about fourth," said O'Connor, who was heading to prom after the meet. "It's been fun, floor is definitely my best event, and in my opinion it is the most fun to watch."

Stevenson almost had another individual champion, but junior Mike Wilner was edged 9.7 to 9.6 by Kruspe for the still rings title. Leyden senior Allen Paczynski posted a 9.2 for fifth and Libertyville junior Craig Breckenridge tied for eighth with an 8.7.

"I nailed my set, and a 9.2 was the highest I've ever scored on still rings," said Paczynski. "I just put it all together and I knew I just couldn't take any big falls."

Mauk closed out his day by placing seventh on high bar with an 8.65, followed by Wilner (8.6) in eighth, and Prospect's Jim Brault (8.55) in ninth.

Wilner placed eighth on vault with a 9.2 while Mundelein junior Scott Marthinsen (9.1) placed 10th.