All-around champ Larock leads Prospect to regional title

Prospect is back on track in an effort to gain a second straight spot in the girls gymnastics Elite Eight.

The Knights earned a spot in next week's Lake Park sectional by delivering the top score in Monday's regional meet at Schaumburg.

Prospect's score was 142.050, with Schaumburg coming in at 138.475 and Rolling Meadows at 131.975.

Senior Maddie Larock led the way for the Mid-Suburban East champs, taking all-around honors with a total of 37.525 and making a clean sweep individually with victories on vault (9.525), uneven parallel bars (9.525), balance beam (9.300) and floor exercise (9.175).

Also advancing as an all-arounder was Prospect sophomore Olivia Gonzalez (35.400). She placed second on vault amd fifth on parallel bars. Other top-five finishes for coach Randy Smith's team were supplied by junior Olivia Sullo (second on bars, 9.100) and junior Candice Melendez (fourth on beam, 9.075).

Rolling Meadows junior Kelly Johnston placed second in the all-around (35.925), was third on vault, tied for third on parallel bars and finished fifth on beam and floor exercise. Victoria Zervos also advanced with a fourth-place effort on floor exercise (8.775).

Hoffman Estates senior Jasminka Sabic finished third on beam (9.125), fourth on vault (9.200) and fourth in all-around (35.200).

Schaumburg junior Caiti Poland advanced with the fifth-place all-around score (34.875). The Saxons also earned automatic sectional advancement with freshman Mikayla Vogt, who placed second on beam (9.175) and floor exercise (9.150) along with fifth on vault (9.075), and sophomore Alison Janega, who finished third on floor exercise (9.025).

Advancing teams and athletes from the Schaumburg, Fremd, Barrington and Hersey regionals will comprise the field in the Lake Park sectional on Feb. 12. The Fremd regional is Tuesday, followed by Barrington on Wednesday and Hersey on Thursday.

After those four regionals are complete, the teams with the top two non-winning scores will earn at-large advancement to Lake Park. Individually, the top 12 performers in each event who did not gain automatic advancement will compete at Lake Park with at-large berths.

The state meet will be hosted by Palatine Feb. 20-21.