Vercelli leads Elgin/Larkin to Niles West Invite crown

The Elgin/Larkin co-op girls gymnastics team won the 12-team Niles West Invite on Thursday night, scoring 60.90 points.

Sophomore Andrea Vercelli won the balance beam competition, took third on the uneven bars and sixth in the floor exercise to lead the Royals.

Registering career-high scores on the vault (4th), the uneven bars (8th) and the balance beam (9th), Lizzy Niles also contributed to the victory, as did Katie McLaughlin with a fifth-place finish on the floor.

The balance beam team of Vercelli and Niles took first in the team balance beam event and second in the team uneven bars while McLaughlin and Vercelli placed second as a team on the floor. Brittany Heine and Niles teamed to finish fourth in the team vault event.

"We are getting better with each meet," said Elgin/Larkin coach Bob Todd, whose squad competes at the Rolling Meadows Invitational today. "This was a solid team effort with great results. The girls continue to show the willingness to win by competing each event at each meet with 110 percent effort."