Conant's Bloom blossoms on balance beam
It was a bit of déjà vu for Conant's Bailey Bloom in the girls gymnastics state meet at Palatine High School.
Bloom had suffered a nasty fall on a beam dismount in January and was a bit shaken by the experience.
And the Cougars junior had another fall on the same dismount in the warm-ups before the state finals on Saturday.
Needless to say, Bloom wasn't exactly calm before mounting the balance beam in Saturday's finals.
But she shook off her nerves and calmly put together a solid series.
Bloom ended her routine by nailing her back walkover, flip-flop and full twist dismount to secure her first state medal with a fifth-place finish (9.3).
"It was the only thing I could think about," said Bloom before the beam. "But I pulled it together and it was great."
Bloom certainly pulled it together this season.
After narrowly missing qualifying for the finals on beam last season, she made good on her second chance this year.
"After not qualifying for the finals last year, and then having her wipeout in warm-ups, getting that medal was special," said Conant coach Anthony Avella. "The team came to support her after warm-ups and her confidence is definitely higher this season.
"She was able to put it all behind her and put it together at the right time."
"It's very unexpected," Bloom said. "I'm just really happy. I wasn't expecting to go on the podium at all. I have no words."
Prairie Ridge co-op secured its third state title scoring a commanding 148.80 to easily outdistance second-place DeKalb (146.95) and third-place Glenbrook South (146.675).
Making its first state finals appearance since 2007, Conant finished seventh with 144.0 points.
Cougars senior Mel Meyrick also ended her career on a high note by taking eighth place on the floor (9.4) and adding a 10th-place finish on vault (9.425).
Meyrick was the Mid-Suburban League all-around champion in 2016 and earned a state medal tying for fifth on beam last season. This year, the senior anchored a fast-rising Cougar attack.
Conant won the MSL title in January and added a regional title in February.
"Each and every one of the girls pulled through when they needed to," Meyrick said. "This team went above and beyond."
"It was a great way for Mel to finish her high school career," Avella said. "She was a leader in the gym and a leader in competition. She gave everything she had for her teammates."
Conant freshman Kennedy O'Connor was honored as rookie of the year by the IHSGGCA before the state finals on Saturday. O'Connor was a key member of the Cougars' attack after coming back from a hyperextended elbow in late November.
She had solid meet on Friday on vault (9.2), bars (8.7), beam (9.2), and floor (9.075) in solidifying her comeback.
Fremd junior Abby Moran was playing catch-up from the start of the season after missing two months of training in the offseason due to illness.
Despite still not being 100 percent healthy, Moran qualified for state finals on beam on Friday and ended her season with a 10th-place finish (8.8) on Saturday.
"I actually was so happy to make it to finals, I wasn't expecting it," said Moran of her late-season flourish. "This experience can only help me next year."
DeKalb senior Aleah Leman took first on the vault (9.85) and also tied Glenbard West sophomore Maddie Diab for first on the bars (9.525).
Maine South sophomore Caleigh Pistorius and New Trier freshman Maeve Murdock tied for first on the beam (9.425), with Carmel senior Samantha Lococo taking first on the floor (9.60).