Wheaton introduces Beste to Rams
To snap a league winless streak that went back further than either the coach or athletic director could remember, the Wheaton co-op girls gymnastics team called on a senior newcomer to introduce herself to the rest of the powerhouse DuPage Valley Conference.
Sarah Beste, fresh on the IHSA scene after three years in club gymnastics, responded with a personal-best score of 38.1 to win the all-around and lead the Falcons past Glenbard East 138.65-133.65.
"She hit all four routines and did an outstanding job," Wheaton coach Chad Downie said. "She's worked hard at practicing and perfecting her routines."
Beste swept all four rotations as she showcased a polished and powerful repertoire of advanced moves, and used her dynamic athleticism to notch a 9. 4 on the vault and on the uneven bars, a 9.6 on the balance beam and a 9.7 on the floor exercise.
"I really concentrated on each individual event instead of being nervous thinking about the whole meet," Beste said. "I had really good practices all week and I just got into a routine today."
Wheaton was aided by strong all-around performances by sophomore Allie Hetrick, who was third overall with a 35.6, and freshman Sophia Marquez's 32.1 to complement Beste.
Glenbard East, meanwhile, fell behind early and could not catch a Falcons team riding their senior leadership.
"Overall, we did very well. We scored about where we always do, in the 132-135 range," Glenbard East coach Jessica Stob said. "To make that jump (to a higher score), we need to work new, harder stuff into our routines, but I'm glad we're consistent."
Senior all-state candidate Andrea Petruniak closed the meet with a 9.5 floor routine to lead the Rams and finish second overall with an all-around score of 36.2. Jordyn Hargreaves posted a mark of 33.7 to finish fourth in a losing effort.
But this night was about a Falcons squad hoping to keep up with Glenbard North, Naperville Central and Naperville North in the DVC, and in the process match the recent success of its boys program.
"This win was significant because the girls see what they're capable of accomplishing," Downie said. "We want to progress and build on this performance … 138 puts us in the top 10-15 in state, so hopefully that will motivate them to continue to work hard."