A breakthrough day for Glenbard West

Sophomore Katherine Hoban was a big contributor on three of the four events to last season's state-qualifying Glenbard West girls gymnastics team.

With two key all-arounders graduating, Hoban needed to add vault - and to get significantly better.

"I really wanted to help the team more and contribute. I think I stepped up all of my skills on every event," Hoban said. "I love doing all-around. Not many people do it. I like doing every event and training them in practice."

At the West Suburban Conference Silver Division meet Saturday at Glenbard West, Hoban stood on the awards podium for vault next to teammate and defending state champion Maddie Diab.

It was another breakthrough day in program history. The Hilltoppers' 142.55 points clinched the first back-to-back conference titles in program history heading into Wednesday's regional at home.

Sophomore Diab won all-around by nearly 2 points with a 37.95 and three events - vault with a 9.8, uneven bars with a 9.6 and floor exercise with a 9.475 routine she performed for just the second time.

Hoban had three top-five medals and senior Alison Oakes two.

Hinsdale Central was second at 136.475, with Downers Grove North third at 135.375. York's 128.725 was sixth.

The overall Silver title is based on dual victories and Silver Meet results.

Glenbard West has won or shared only five Silver titles, all under current coach Carlos Fuentes, with the first coming in 2005.

The Hilltoppers already had won sectionals in back-to-back years in 2010 and 2011 to automatically reach state. Last year was the program's first outright conference title.

"It shows how hard it is to win a conference title. So it's exciting for us," Fuentes said. "I think these girls have now been making a name for themselves."

Hoban's 35.975 was third in all-around. On vault Hoban was second to Diab with a 9.15 handspring full, and its 9.4 start value and third on uneven bars with a 9.025. She was sixth on beam and floor.

"I hit 4 for 4 so that was good. It was really encouraging to beat a lot of higher difficulty (vaults)," Hoban said.

At the 2016 Silver meet Hoban was seventh on uneven bars and ninth on beam and floor.

"Katherine was the one I thought was going to be the X factor. I thought if she could reach her potential and become that 36.00 all-arounder, we could have another special year," Fuentes said. "She's really just come through everywhere. Every great team has a 1-2 punch. She really does that for us."

Diab is the defending state champion in all-around, vault and beam.

Diab won all-around and all four events at the 2016 Silver meet but was edged on beam Saturday 9.125 to 9.075 by Lyons Township sophomore Olivia Kalata, a 2016 state vault qualifier.

"There's still a couple of things here and there to fix, but I feel like I'm pretty strong going into the postseason," Diab said. "It's really fun to be part of (another) really strong team."

Oakes, the team's three-event "all-arounder," was second on floor with a 9.35. Her 9.05 vault shared fourth with Hinsdale Central sophomore Kylie Torsberg and Downers North freshman Clare Webster.

Downers North sophomore and first-year team member Brooke Stocki was second on uneven bars with a 9.425 and fourth in all-around at 35.40. Seniors Becky Donnelly and Nicolet Christensen earned their first conference medals with fifth on floor and beam, respectively, with 9.15 and 8.725 scores.

"It's so nice to be competing against so many girls who are so good," said Stocki, whose season high on uneven bars is 9.55. "I actually thought I did better on this routine because I was a lot tighter on my bail but on the dismount I didn't stick it."

Hinsdale Central sophomore and team newcomer Sophia Gerard was fourth on uneven bars with a 9.0 - a personal best by .475 thanks to her best bail into a handstand on the lower bar.

"That's my first 9 (in any event), so it's really exciting," Gerard said. "This time I actually hit the handstand and didn't hit my feet so that was really good."

York sophomore Sydney Hill was fifth on uneven bars with an 8.875, a three-place improvement from 2016 and just shy of her 8.9 best.

"I was really focused on sticking my routine," Hill said. "I'm really proud of hitting all of my handstands. Last year, I was having a lot of difficulty (landing my double back dismounts). Now I feel so confident doing them now."