MSL boys gymanstics meet preview
2009 Mid-Suburban League gymnastics meet
Where: Conant High School
Time: 6 p.m. today
Last year's results: Palatine 156.80, Conant 147.30, Prospect 145.10, Fremd 133.65, Elk Grove 129.65, Buffalo Grove 127.70, Barrington 124.45, Hoffman Estates 124.25, Rolling Meadows 121.10, Schaumburg 116.85, Hersey 112.66.
Last year's individual champs: Vault: Fremd's Keith English (9.6); Still Rings: Palatine's Luke Schuster (8.75); Pommel horse: Prospect's Chris Mattes (9.75); Floor exercise: Matt Eckardt (9.65), Parallel bars: Matt Eckhardt (9.3); Horizontal bar: Conant's Jon Snyder 9.45.
Returning All-Arounders: Of the top 12 all-around finishers from a year ago, five are back this time. They are Conant's Steven Rink (fourth with a 47.35), Conant's Anthony Crivolio (sixth, 44.90), Fremd's Brandon Trostrud (seventh, 44.85), Prospect's Joe Napoleon (eighth, 44.65) and Rolling Meadows Marc Herff (12th, 39.95).
Grand slam for Palatine?: The Pirates are seeking a fourth straight MSL crown. They sure look like they have the momentum to do it, coming off their highest score of the season in the District 211 meet last Friday night at Hoffman Estates. The Pirates posted a 158.8, just a notch below their best in school history (159.8 in 2007 when they won the state title). Coach Scott Hagel, now in his ninth season, has guided the Pirates to six straight MSL West crowns. He watched senior Andre Gatorano win the all-around at the District 211 meet (53.8) along with four individual event titles - high bar (9.2), vault (9.3), still rings (8.8) and floor exercise (9.3). Teammate David Irsay took the top spot in the pommel horse with a 9.1. The Pirates also had three individual event runners-up - Luke Schuster on parallel bars (9.05), Pat Hamman on vault (9.2) and Jason Rutzky on still rings (8.7).
Schuster is the only gymnast who can defend a title. He won the still rings last year with an 8.75.
Pommel prince: Meadows' John Scallon will be trying for top honors on the pommel horse. He started the event just one year ago and already has some of the best scores in the league. "He went from 3s, 4s and 5s as a sophomore, right to 9s this year," said Meadows coach Chris Cassidy. "His only 8 this season was at the District 214 meet. Other than that he'd never been in the 6s, 7s, or 8s in his career." Scallon won the pommel at Niles North last Saturday with a 9.5.
Top Grens: Senior Kamil Nytko, senior Mike Jachura, senior Darryl Tan and sophomore Damian Zukowski have all recorded scores that could make them top contenders in their events according to Elk Grove coach Bill Watts. Nytko has a 9.5 on floor, followed by Jachura (8.5 on still rings), Tan (80 on pommel) and Zukowski (8.0 on high bar). At last Saturday's Niles North Invite, Nytko (9.15) and Jachura (9.23) helped Elk Grove top its best vault score (27.55) in 30 years under Watts. Junior Senji Lee also contributed a 9.17.
Swan song: It will be the final MSL meet for Watts, who is retiring from teaching and coaching at the end of the school year. A 1972 graduate of Elk Grove, where he was a gymnast and earned a scholarship to Indiana University, Watts has taught for 33 years in the physical education department at his alma mater. He has coached the Grens boys gymnastics team for 30 years and won an MSL title in 2003.
Among the hopefuls: Longtime Saxons coach Howard Rubin has at least three gymnasts with the potential of contending for high spots. Steven Long is a two-time state qualifier in the floor exercise. Jake Mager was among the top all-arounders in last week's 211 meet. And Ravi Shah has potential on the pommel horse.
Buffalo Grove coach Chris Stevens has a couple of sophomores worth watching. Kyle Siebert averaged 8.0 on the still rings this season while Eugene Blackmon averaged 8.23 on the parallel bars and was third in the event at the 214 meet.
Hersey coach Mason Vernon is getting consistency across the board from Juan Cervantes. His top scores include a 9.2 in floor, 9.1 in vault, 8.3 on still rings and 8.7 on the parallel bars.
Marc Herff was impressive at the 214 meet for Meadows. The sophomore earned the all-around title (8.23) and was first on the parallel bars (9.05).
Coach Pat Kivland's 38th Prospect team is led by all arounder Joe Napoleon, who was second at the 214 meet with a 47.45 and won the Niles North Invite with a 49.05. Knights senior Ben Raeder won the high bar at Niles North (8.5) while teammate Jon Daoud won the vault (9.55) at the 214 meet.
Fremd coach Tim Hamman expects a solid effort from Dante Digangi on the floor and vault and likewise from Brandon Trostrud on the parallel bars. Trostrud scored an impressive 9.4 at the District 211 meet to prevent Palatine from sweeping all the events.
Hoffman Estates' Brian Manadero is a top hopeful in the all-around. Manadero was fifth in the 211 meet last week with a score of 44.8.
At Barrington, coach Rob DeFano is eager to see how Roelle Eugenio performs. The senior returned from a thumb injury for his first meet last Saturday against Leyden. DeFano believes he can be a threat on high bar, parallel bars, still rings and floor. "Now he knows it's show time," DeFano said. Other leading Broncos are senior Chris Corbley (averaging 9.1 on vault), senior Tim Karsten (average of 8.5 on floor) and senior Gerald Fawcett (average 9.1 on vault).
Conant's Big Three: First-year coach Randy Smith has been relying all season on Steve Rink, Anthony Crivolio and Clinton Martin. And they showed why at the 211 meet last week when they were second (49.6), third (49.35) and sixth (43.15) respectively in the all-around.