Willowbrook finds energy to notch win at Glenbard South

Returning back to school early in the morning and having your first meet in 17 days later that evening can break even the most disciplined gymnast.

It wasn't entirely smooth sailing, but Willowbrook did more than enough good things to win at Glenbard South on Monday, 115.6 to 110.25, in nonconference action.

"It was a little rough," Willowbrook coach Deanna Zuchowski said. "They came in a little groggy, but they stepped it up and really tried to push through the tiredness and back-to-school stuff."

Karli Wilson has been stepping up all season despite being only a sophomore. She's also contributing more than scoring as she's quickly blossomed into a veteran leader since the Willowbrook roster is so young.

"Last year we had a group of four freshmen, but then with some illness and moving out, Karli has had to really step up," Zuchowski said. "We have at least six freshmen now and they're all vying for that varsity spot so Karli has been a real asset in helping them push through and get that gymnastics understanding and meet mentality."

Wilson led the Warriors, who had five all-arounders in the lineup with Alexis Fitzgerald, Caitlyn Owen, Maeve Costello and Kylie Rogers also having busy nights. Fitzgerald, Costello and Owen are freshmen.

"A lot of the girls weren't really in the swing of things at the start, but we tried to go as strong as we could and I think we really pulled it through," Wilson said. "We had some bumps in the road, but we're strong and like family so we pushed each other through."

New skills were added to a lot of Willowbrook's routines. As expected, some worked, others didn't.

"We'll continued to try to build on them," Zuchowski said. "With it being our first meet back, I was pretty impressed with how well they did."

The Raiders were celebrating Senior Night in what was their first and only home competition of the season.

Junior Katie Kibbey earned the top score on beam and won the all-around with a 31.05 to pace the Raiders.

Senior Sarah Nardella shined on vault, winning with an 8.4 for the Raiders. It was a nice honor for Nardella as she has battled anxiety while competing the past few years.

"After club (gymnastics) this has been a good-to-get-back-into-it place," she said. "It's not too fast like club, but it's definitely something I liked to incorporate back into my high school life."

Senior Megan Jessen was happy to land her full again on floor, a move that has plagued her. Lately, she's been enthusiastic with her progress.

"I don't land my full a lot," she said. "I don't know what was different this time either. I guess it was complete luck."

It was also a fitting way for Jessen to compete for the last time in the comfy environs of Glenbard South.

"I've just been trying to go all out even if I don't land it, I have nothing to lose," she said. "When I do hit the whole team gets excited since I don't land it frequently. That's what makes it fun."

Another Raiders senior, Aine McGovern, competed on bars and beam. She wasn't overly thrilled with her scores but still had fun.

"I've done better before, but I still had fun," she said. "It's a really friendly environment here and I've been able to learn some stuff and try new things. I'm happy I'm part of the team."