Carmel Catholic a solid fourth
The journey continues for the Carmel Catholic girls gymnastics team.
Competing at state for the second straight year after earning an at-large berth, the Corsairs knew Friday's preliminaries at Palatine would be a tough challenge, even for their seasoned squad.
Carmel led the eight-team field after two rotations but settled into fourth place with 145.125. Leading the way was two-time defending champion Prairie Ridge with 148.7, followed by DeKalb (146.875) and Glenbrook South (146.575).
"We really built these girls up since they were freshmen," Carmel coach Nicole Stroup said. "They didn't have the talent that year. But to see them evolve in their gymnastics over the past few years, you just can't ask for much more as a coach."
Carmel has six seniors, and they were ready to compete.
"It's a blessing to be back at state and to get here as a team," Stroup said. "We knew it was anybody's game. It depends on who goes out there and performs the best on a given day. DeKalb, Prairie Ridge and Glenbrook South came in and they hit and performed. We knew that this would be a close meet this year."
Carmel started out with 36.6 on floor and followed up with strong vaults (37.725). They went 35.275 on bars and 35.525 on beam.
Corsairs senior Samantha Lococo finished ninth in all-around (37.325). Nikki Baars of Prairie Ridge won the all-around title with 38.075.
Lococo tied for the best score on the floor with Geneva's Claire Rose Ginsberg, as each girl earned a 9.575 from the judges. They will compete in Saturday's finals starting at 2 p.m. Lococo also qualified for finals on bars with a 9.325.
"It's definitely exciting to make those events," Lococo said. "It's a reward for the team. I have the team to thank for pushing me to do my best on those events."
Lococo took third place on floor as a sophomore and was fifth in the same event last year. She's thankful for this season's experience with her teammates.
"It's a bond that we all share," Lococo said. "We're actually like sisters since we spend more than 20 days together. We see more of each other more than our families sometimes."