Buffalo Grove's Dunne sweeps

Buffalo Grove's Linda Dunne is at point in her gymnastics career where everything is coming together.

The senior made it look easy at the Palatine regional Thursday night sweeping all four events and winning the all-around with a career-best 37.50.

"It's just that senior thing," added Dunne of her solid performance. "You know what to expect and hopefully it keeps getting better."

Palatine's Nicole Kuksuk is still putting the pieces together in her young career, and the freshman did a pretty good job of that in taking third in the all-around (36.375) - leading the host Pirates to their seventh consecutive regional title with 137.40 points.

Buffalo Grove (130.725), Maine West (127.975), and Conant (112.425) rounded out the four-team field.

Palatine joins Schaumburg, Prospect and Fremd as automatic qualifiers advancing to Mondays sectional at Schaumburg starting at 6:30 p.m.

Maine South and Hersey advanced as at-large team qualifiers.

Palatine has been bruised and battered this season with injuries, but Kuksuk led a resilient Pirate squad by taking second on the vault (9.325), bars (8.950), and beam (9.1), adding a fourth place on the floor (9.0).

"I think the more you get to do your stuff in pressure situations, the better you get," said Kuksuk who has lifted the Pirates attack this season. "It's all coming together at the right time."

Sophomore Marissa Mallon took fourth in the all-around (34.175), taking a pair of fourths on the vault (9.0) and bars (8.4), and adding a pair of fifths on the beam (8.225) and floor (8.55).

Sophomore Autumn Peterson took fifth on the vault (8.9) and freshman Megan Hedstrom tied Mallon for fourth on the bars (8.40), with senior Alyssa Alden tying Mallon for fifth on the beam (8.225) in filling in the gaps for the injury riddled Pirates.

"We counted on different people," added Palatine coach Terry Theobold of the Pirates attack. "We survived and that's the deal."

Dunne took first on the vault (9.475), bars (9.35), beam (9.425), and floor (9.275) and heads to the sectionals with a full head of steam.

The senior lifted her floor performance by hitting a handspring front full to cap a brilliant performance.

"Huge improvement," said Buffalo Grove coach Stephanie Schrader of Dunne's floor performance. "It should give her confidence, and her other events were very solid, she's been very consistent."

The Bison also received a lift from sophomore Katie Strack who took fifth in the all-around (33.60), finishing fourth on the beam (8.55) and floor (8.70).

Michelle Madalinski was a state qualifier on the beam for Maine West last year, and the sophomore looks just as solid this year.

Madalinski took second in the all-around (36.40), finishing second on the floor (9.250), and third on the vault (9.275), bars (8.825), and beam (9.050).

"I did get some of my higher scores tonight so I'm excited for that," said Madalinski. "I just have to clean things up a bit."

The unofficial cutoffs for at large scores for Monday's sectionals are 8.475 (vault), 8.10 (bars), 8.125 (beam), 8.475 (floor), and 32.775 (all-around).