Season-best score for regional champ Barrington
Barrington is coming on strong.
Just Friday, the Fillies’ girls gymnastics team hit its season-best mark (144.875) at the Mid-Suburban League meet.
The Fillies blew past that mark on Monday while securing their first regional title since 2009 with an impressive 147.025 in their own gym.
Sophomore Abby Hasanov led the charge by winning the all-around (38.225) and sweeping all four individual events.
“As a coach, you want to peak at the right time,” said Barrington coach Jason Loeffler, “and I think we’re peaking at the right time.”
Conant took second with 141.05 points, followed by Palatine (132.95) and Hoffman Estates (122.125).
Barrington advances as a team to the Conant sectional at 6:30 p.m. next Monday.
Barrington has not qualified for a state meet since 2003, but the Fillies served notice on Monday night that they will certainly be candidates this year.
Hasanov won vault (9.65), bars (9.4), beam (9.65), and floor (9.575) in a brilliant performance.
“It felt like I was sticking everything tonight,” said Hasanov. “It’s great for the team, knowing that we actually have a chance to qualify to state.”
But it wasn’t just Hasanov, as the Fillies went nine deep on Monday. They claimed the top three spots on vault and floor exercise.
Senior Brooke Morgan (9.525) and sophomore Molly Blanke (9.45) went 2-3 on vault. Junior Jessica Lee, who has made a great comeback from an ACL injury in her sophomore season, contributed by tying for fourth on the bars (8.85) and taking fifth on beam (9.3).
Freshman Rachel Timperman took second on the floor (9.35), freshman Hayley Nilles tied for fourth on the bars (8.85) and junior Tara Schumann added a third-place finish on floor (9.025).
Now Barrington sits on the doorstep of qualifying for their first state meet in 11 years.
“It’s just incredible,” said Morgan. “We’re going to keep pushing through, and we’re really starting to clean up our routines, so it can only go up from here.”
Conant also had an impressive night with senior Rachel Tong (9.175) and senior Meicie Bennett (8.95) going 2-3 on the bars. Tong (35.525) and Bennett (35.175) also went 3-4 in the all-around, with Bennett tying for fourth on the floor 8.95.
“I have been working really hard and came together tonight,” said Tong. “The team has put a lot of time and work in, and it would be special to qualify for sectionals.”
Sophomore Ali Kelly added a fourth-place finish on beam (9.3), with freshman Mariana Vasquez-Rosa added a fifth-place finish on vault (9.075).
Freshman Kara Ure gave Palatine a lift by taking sixth on the beam (9.15) and junior Andre Ori contributed on vault (eighth place) and floor (ninth place).
Junior Jasminka Sabic came up big for Hoffman Estates, taking second on beam (9.45) and fifth in the all-around (35.10).
“It was my first time to stick that routine on beam,” said Sabic who hit her aerials to nail down the beam performance. “It gives me a lot of confidence heading into sectionals.”
Jacobs’ Allison Riedel qualified to state as a freshman, but her season ended at sectionals last season when she injured her right foot.
Riedel is back this year and looks to be back in top form. The junior took second in the all-around (36.425) and was strong in all events, taking third on beam (9.4), fourth on vault (9.325), tying for fourth on floor (8.95), and placing sixth on bars (8.75).
“It was a long time coming back,” said Riedel, “Coming back was always in the back of my mind. I just wanted to come back and do the best I can.”