Stand-up efforts from Lococo, third-place Carmel

Carmel Catholic's girls gymnastics team did more than just return to the state meet this year.

The Corsairs made it to the podium, earning the third-place trophy at Palatine on Saturday night.

Prairie Ridge co-op successfully defended its state championship with a 150.6, while DeKalb co-op was runner-up with a 148.075. Carmel finished with a 146.775.

"This was exciting. We've been dreaming about this for the last 375 days," Carmel coach Nicole Stroup said. "I think what separated this year from other years was that the girls finally started believing as a team. They had this dream together."

Sammi Lococo, Carmel's lone participant Saturday night, had plenty of support from her teammates. Lococo hurt her ankle on her first and only vault (8.75) in the finals, but she gutted it out to perform on balance beam and floor exercise.

"That's something that they've done all year," Stroup said of her girls' support for each other. "They are always behind each other, no matter the situation. They're there for every one of their teammates. They have a very close bond."

With her ankle taped, Lococo earned a 9.425 on floor, tying DeKalb's Madison Hickey for fifth place. Lococo finished eighth on beam with a 9.4.

"I landed short on my vault. I popped and crunched it," Lococo said. "It was tough because I wanted to do those other events. I had to overcome it and push past vault and let it go. I wanted to put effort 'times 10' in the other two events. For me to get the medal was special. But the team finishing in third place was more special."

Carmel senior Antonia Durnil finally got her chance to hold the third-place trophy.

"I really couldn't think of anything better," Durnil said. "My Carmel gymnastics career has been amazing. To end this way is fulfilling."

Carmel's Anna Osowski watched the Corsairs win state championships when her sister Carrie was on the team.

"We've been trying to get to state as a team the last three years," Osowski said. "This year, not only did we get to state, we placed. Last year, we had a rough patch. This year, it was exciting to come back and be here as a team. It's just exciting to touch the trophy. It makes me smile."

Warren's Teagon Albert took seventh on floor with a 9.35, while Mundelein's Meagan Kehr placed 10th on the vault with a 9.35.

Glenbard West's Maddie Diab won top honors in two events, taking vault (9.9) and beam (9.525).

Nikki Baars of Prairie Ridge co-op chalked up the top spot on bars (9.575), and DeKalb's Aleah Leman won floor (9.725).