Wheaton Warrenville co-op ready to keep pushing
Lucas Cooperman and Ben Szot aren't used to being the faces of the Wheaton Warrenville co-op boys gymnastics teams.
They better get used to a change this spring.
The duo led Wheaton Warrenville to a 148.6 to 126.7 victory over Glenbard East during Thursday's dual meet.
Szot won the all-around with a 52.5 and Cooperman had a 49.
"I think a lot of teams underestimated us this year because we lost David MacDonald and Ethan Sansone," Cooperman said. "We want to show that we're still capable of being a very good team and I think we showed it (Thursday night) and we're still going to keep pushing it even more."
Cooperman won floor with a 9, while Szot claimed top honors on pommel horse with a 9.2, still rings with a 9, parallel bars with an 8.9 and high bar with a 7.8.
"I was happy, but it really was a team effort all around," Szot said. "Our motto here is to try to improve everyday and I think we were cleaner than we've been before. All we can do is try to make ourselves better each time."
It might be only late March, but Wheaton Warrenville is gearing up to make history. It has already won three straight state titles. Adding another to its streak would put it in the company of only Hinsdale Central, which won fourth consecutive titles, wrapping up its streak in 1973.
"It's exciting, but every year is different," Wheaton Warrenville coach Greg Gebhardt said. "Ben (Szot) and Lucas (Cooperman) are being asked to do a lot more, but I think those guys are taking ownership. They're excited to see how things can pan out and we're trying to maximize their potential so they're excited at the end (of the season)."
The third score likely will be crucial if a four-peat proves to be a serious possibility. Cory Drummond had an 8.5 on floor and 7.6 on parallel bars, while Austin Tate delivered a key team score on three events, including an 8.3 on pommel horse, and Adam DeCrane scored an 8.3 on vault.
"It's tough to have your Top 3 guys and not expect anyone to bobble," Gebhardt said. "That's why we want to have that third, and that fourth and fifth that we're pushing for now."
On the flip side of things, Glenbard East posted a quiet 126.7. The Rams would not have done it without Matt Le's 40.8 in the all-round.
"I had been scared to throw some of the things I had been working on lately," he said. "I'm glad I did it. We didn't expect to score very high so what we did was impressive for our team."
Mike McGowan's 8.2 on floor, Jomhar Solis's 7.0 on pommel horse, Mathias Bouillet's 6.9 on still rings and 8.3 on vault and John Ivey's 6.6 on high bar were also notable for the Rams.