Glenbard West freshman wins state
Maddie Diab has been dialed in all year.
Her amazing season continued on Friday at the IHSA state finals as the Glenbard West freshman won the all-around with a 38.2. She narrowly edged Barrington senior Abby Hasanov's 38.175.
"I'm just so happy and it feels really good," Diab said. "My second vault wasn't what I expected, though, because I really didn't do what I wanted, but other than that, I did my routines as I do in practice."
Glenbard West coach Carlos Fuentes has seen all of those practices so he knows how deserving she is of this latest accomplishment.
"She's the type of athlete that you want to have this type of success," he said. "The way she trains every single day in the gym, she always comes to work and wants to improve every day. Some kids find it hard to get motivated and push themselves, but she does it and is a very deserving champion."
She's not done either. She advanced into all of Saturday's individual event championships, including vault where her 9.825 in prelims was the meet's best.
The Hilltoppers are situated in fourth place with 145.825 points and should remain there, which would be the highest finish in school history.
"We hit 4-for-5 on every event so I was more pleased with how they responded," Fuentes said. "We had a fall to start bars and beam and the next four girls hit. I was more impressed with Katherine Hoban and the amazing meet she had because she had to go up next both times after the falls."
Lake Park is in fifth place with 144.25 points.
"We hit 19 of 20 routines so to do that in our first state appearance in 13 years is awesome," Lancers coach Jake Luketin said. "It's a young group. We'll lose a couple of girls, but we've got a lot that will be back and they're motivated to keep on working on it. I'm sure they want to make it back here as much as I do."
Senior Izzy Shaw has extended her season one more day on vault with a 9.575 and floor with a 9.475.
"This whole week has been about mentally preparing myself for this," she said. "There was such high-caliber gymnastics here. I have so much respect for everyone here and to advance, especially since this is my last year, I couldn't ask for anything more."
Shaw finished with a 36.75 in the all-around.
The final team from the area, Downers Grove South, finds itself in eighth place with 143.125 points.
The Mustangs appeared at state for the first time since 1993. Freshman Abby Carlson qualified for Saturday's finals on bars.
Glenbard North senior Allison Wahrman wants to end her senior season as a champion on bars before she begins her final track season.
She put herself in great position to do so by earning a 9.5.
"It went really well and I could actually still improve on it," she said. "I think I really could win it tomorrow. Seeing the competition now, I feel I can beat them, so we'll see."
Wahrman also scored a 35.825 in the all-around. Hinsdale South's Maddie Nowak, Naperville Central's Jill Schuberth, Glenbard West's Amber Broucek and Wheaton Warrenville co-op's Julie Galo also competed in the all-around for the last time, while Addison Trail junior Kennedy O'Neill also was in action. Nowak was the only once to advance, doing so in three events.
Galo's senior teammate Petrina Chino tied for 11th on bars and just missed advancing, while co-op freshmen Jackie Kerth and Macy Smykal made their state debuts.
"Right now it hasn't hit me that it's the end, but I know it will," Galo said. "I'm just happy I had a good meet. I'm excited to see what these other girls do next year. To make state as freshmen is amazing. The team has so much potential, especially the girls who made it to state."
Prairie Ridge co-op has all but wrapped up its second straight team title with a comfortable 150.225 to 147.975 lead over DeKalb/Sycamore co-op. Carmel is third at 146.775 points.