Barrington, Prospect finish 2-3 at Galatte invite

Sammi Lococo didn't compete for the Carmel gymnastics team as a freshman - but this year the sophomore is ready to rock 'n roll.

In the early season Rolling Meadows Al Galatte Invitational on Saturday, Lococo showed flashes of just how good she can be.

She took first place in the floor exercise with a mark of 9.45, and Corsairs coach Nicole Stroup said the victory wasn't a surprise.

"We didn't exactly know what the competition was putting out there, but we do know that Sammi is very talented," Stroup said.

"We have a very close team, and our kids were extremely excited that Sammi decided go to high school this year."

Lincoln Way Co-Op won the meet, with Barrington second and Prospect third thanks to some stellar performances.

The Fillies' Molly Blanke captured vault honors with a 9.35 and teammate Kseniya Kisleva won the uneven bars event.

Prospect junior Megan Donner finished second on floor, just edged out by Lococo.

"I was a little surprised (at my placement) because floor is not my best event," Donner said. "I was just trying to help my team the best way I knew how."

Coach Randy Smith, whose Knights took first place in this invite the last two seasons, appreciated Donner's effort.

"Megan wasn't really throwing her best stuff, but sometimes that's a plus because the easier stuff looks cleaner and sharper," Smith said. "That's a good lesson to be learned - clean and easy beats hard and sloppy every time."

Kelly Johnston of the host Mustangs was victorious on the balance beam, with Conant's Ali Kelly second.

Schaumburg finished fourth and Lake Park was fifth, led by Jesse-Lee VAndenEykel's third place in the vault.

"We had a fantastic day," said Lancers coach Jake Luketin.

"We hit on eight of eight placements, and you can't ask for consistency better than that. This is a tough meet because when you have five girls compete and only four count scores, you can have one girl miss and it doesn't hurt you. But in this invite everyone counts and we were able to hit all eight."

It didn't hurt the Lancers that VandenEykel has returned full force from an injury she sustained last season.

"She missed a lot of time last year and when she came back she had a slow start," Luketin said.

"This year she's at full strength and has all of her confidence back."

Other noteworthy peformances included Schaumburg's Samantha Panther finishing third on uneven bars and Hoffman Estates' Jasminka Sabic taking third on floor exercise.

Carmel's Kelly Gustafson was fifth in the vault.

"We're improving week by week and that's all you can ask," Lococo said.

When questioned about her individual performance at the Rolling Meadows Invitational and her decision to compete for Carmel this season, Lococo provided some easy answers.

"My coach has faith in my ability," Lococo said. "She expected me to come out here and win. I know a lof of the girls on the team, They're my friends and they were nice and welcoming when I came back. I'm excited to be here."