Burke's leadership role grows in status
Imagine the weight that could have been placed on the shoulders of Fremd gymnast Mary Burke.
A year after her sister, Katie, graduated after winning seven individual state championships and 15 state medals, Mary joined the Vikings as a freshman and picked up where her sister left off.
In her first year on varsity Burke handled the pressure that comes with being the leading gymnast of the most successful girls gymnastics team in state history.
She won vault, beam and the all-around while leading her team to its record 11th state championship.
That gave observers every reason to believe that Burke would follow not only in her sister's footsteps, but in those of the great Fremd number one all-arounders of the past, like Michelle Hernanadez and MaryAnne Kelly.
But since her freshman year, Mary has run into somewhat of a dry spell, the kind of dry spell most gymnasts in Illinois would love to have on their resume.
She won the all-around title last year, but she hasn't won an individual event the past two seasons. Still, she does have 11 individual state medals, including 2 in the all-around.
"The last two years haven't been too good," Mary acknowledged.
The Vikings were somewhat of an underdog, in the words of head coach Jim Guest as he held the top trophy at the state meet at Palatine last year.
This year only Burke, Tori Sarantakis, Eliza Grosshauser and Caitlin Golota return.
However, only Burke was an all-arounder last year while the three others were specialists.
"It wasn't a surprise to us," said Burke, who received a full gymnastics scholarship from the University of Missouri. "We knew at the beginning of the season that that was our goal. There were a lot of other good teams, but we were confident we could do well from the start."
Fremd has a much different look this season, with Golota doing all four events in the season opener and three freshmen joining the varsity squad.
Will Burke try and lead this basically inexperienced team to yet another state title, or will she try and win more individual state titles?
For both Fremd coach Guest and Burke, the answer is easy.
"I definitely do what I have to do for the team," Burke said. "It's (individual awards) not as important to me. I might throw something else to help the team. At sectionals I might be more conservative."
"Mary is a team player," Guest said. "She does a great job in the leadership role. She's grown even more, vocally and by example. That's probably the most important, the vocal part."
Girls gymnastics preview
State meet: Preliminaries: Friday, Feb. 15, 12:30 p.m., vault and bars; 6:30 p.m. beam and floor; Saturday, Feb. 16, 6:40 p.m. individual finals.
Defending state champion: Fremd.
Gymnasts to watch: Mary Burke (Fremd); Rachel Corcoran, Morgan Bauer (Palatine); Cara Cosentino, Kelly Hendricks (Conant); Kelsey Persels (Barrington); Linda Dunne, Christine Douthwaite (Buffalo Grove); Kim Gulik (Elk Grove); Chanelle Dahm (Prospect); Nicole Wildrick (Rolling Meadows); AnneMarie Spiezia (Wheeling)
Teams to watch: Palatine, Fremd, Conant, Prospect.
Top meets: Saturday, Dec. 1, Downers Grove North "Big Purple" Invitational (2 p.m.); Wednesday, Dec. 5, Fremd vs. Conant (6:30 p.m.); Saturday, Dec. 8, Conant Invitational (noon), Hersey Invitational (1 p.m.); Tuesday, Dec. 11, Conant, Hersey at Palatine (6:30 p.m.); Saturday, Dec. 15, New Trier Invitational (noon), Palatine Invitational (11 a.m.); Tuesday, Dec. 18, Buffalo Grove, Hersey at Prospect (6:30 p.m.); Wednesday, Dec. 19, Palatine, Schaumburg at Fremd (6:30 p.m.); Saturday, Jan. 12, Fremd Invitational (1 p.m.), Prospect Invitational (6:30 p.m.); Friday, Jan. 25, MSL meet at Barrington (6:30 p.m.)
What they're saying:
"I think Palatine will be very strong at the end of the season. I think you'll see them at the state meet. They lost the Ference sisters and Jessie (Watanabe), but they've got three good girls." -- Fremd coach Jim Guest
"We just need to work on our team and get everyone at full strength. Our goal is always to win the division. We want the division title and to be represented at state." -- Stephanie Schrader, coach of MSL East contender Buffalo Grove
"There are always good teams in the MSL. There's always a team that sneaks in and wins."
Fremd's Mary Burke, the defending state all-around champion
Interesting questions:
With so many top gymnasts having graduated last season and coaches of some top teams, such as J.R. Halek at Warren and Michelle Strachn at Conant, leaving for other jobs, can the usual state contenders contend again?
Will Fremd senior Mary Burke win her third state all-around championship and tie or surpass her sister Katie's mark of 15 individual state medals?
Will this be the year Palatine returns to the top of the Illinois gymnastics world, or will losing the Ference sisters and Jessie Watanabe be too much to overcome?