Shaw wins all-around, Lake Park takes DVC
Lake Park senior Izzy Shaw spent her first DuPage Valley Conference meet as a member of the girls gymnastics team in 2015 as an outstanding supporter on the sidelines.
On Friday she spent plenty of time on the top of the awards podium.
Shaw won the all-around title, vault and floor exercise and, most importantly to her, helped the Lancers score 145.15 points at Neuqua Valley and capture their first conference title in more than a decade.
"This is probably so far this year my favorite meet because we won as a team," Shaw said. "The individual titles are nothing compared to team because we all come together. I don't keep track of my own individual scores. I only focus on what we're doing as a team."
Wheaton co-op was second with 140.775 points, and Glenbard North held onto third at 132.675 despite counting several falls. The two newcomers to the DVC were fourth and fifth - Neuqua Valley with a season-high 131.90 and Waubonsie Valley/Metea Valley co-op with 131.275 - followed by Naperville Central's 128.50 and Naperville North's 120.75.
Lake Park freshman Nina Gallichio won balance beam with a 9.275. Glenbard North senior Allison Wahrman won the uneven parallel bars with a 9.575.
Heading into regionals next week, Lake Park posted its third-highest score of the season behind 19 of 20 hit routines. The Lancers, who posted a school-record 147.05 Jan. 23, are going for their first team state berth since 2003.
Senior Jesse VandenEykel, juniors Daniella Pellegrino and Marissa DeBenedetto and sophomores Kelly Zehnder and Chloe Capuder were part of last year's DVC meet lineup, which finished second to Glenbard North by .3.
"It's been a long time (winning conference). They're really excited about it. We just came into this meet to have fun and that's been our motto all year," Lake Park coach Jake Luketin said. "They're consistently scoring above 143 and separating themselves from other teams."
Shaw's 37.025 won all-around over the 36.40 by Wahrman, who counted two falls, and 36.15 by Wheaton North senior Julie Galo.
Shaw's 9.425 won floor with Pellegrino second at 9.2. Shaw's 9.5 vault won by .025 over Wahrman with Glenbard North's Delaney Guy third at 9.35.
Training to join the Lancers last season, Shaw tore her ACL for the second year in a row.
"It was difficult because I love gymnastics so much and I love this team so much," Shaw said. "It was hard, but I knew I had to wait. It was hard, but it was worth it."
"It's her first and last conference meet, (Shaw) said today with a little bit of a smile and a little bit of a tear," Lake Park coach Jake Luketin said.
Wahrman pulled out the bars title by .175 over Gallichio. Wahrman won DVC title on uneven bars and all-around in 2014, her first season of high school gymnastics.
"It was kind of my goal going in, to win bars. I was really hoping to beat (Gallichio) so it was really exciting to do that," Wahrman said.
Gallichio captured beam after Zehnder won last year's title as a freshman.
"(It was) the icing on the cake sort of thing," Gallichio said.
Wheaton co-op broke 140 points for the second time this season with help from counting no falls on beam. WW South senior Petrina Chino was second on beam at 9.15 and third on uneven bars at 9.3. Galo also tied for fourth on vault with Naperville Central's Jill Schuberth at 9.225 and was fifth on beam at 9.0.
Because of late-season injuries, Chino sat out the 2015 DVC meet and Galo only competed on uneven bars. This is Galo's first season as an all-arounder.
"It's a shock (taking third)," Galo said. "I feel like I probably should have been doing beam, but beam is not my favorite event."
Neuqua Valley beat its previous season high by 3.20 points. Junior Colleen Moavro's season-high 9.1 on beam earned third and aided her sixth-place 34.75 all-around.
Metea junior Claire Samojedny was fourth in all-around at 35.575, which included fifth on uneven bars and floor. Schuberth's 34.55 was seventh in all-around.