Big day for Carmel, Gotlund

Carmel Catholic's girls gymnastics team set a goal at the start of the season: "Mission 2010."

The Corsairs are on the verge of seeing their goal come to fruition after an inspired performance Friday in the state meet at Palatine High School.

Carmel sits on atop the leaderboard after the preliminaries with a 146.975. The Corsairs didn't have their best meet of the season, but they hold a slim lead over Lyons (146.775) going into tonight's finals.

Kim Gotlund of Warren earned top honors in the all-around, chalking a 38.25. Stevenson's Ali Castriano picked up fourth (37.65) and Carmel's Kristin Mirski took fifth (37.55).

"Score-wise. it wasn't where we wanted to be," Carmel coach Sarah Doyle said. "This team have done everything I've asked of them. They've given everything, listened and adjusted. We have falls here and there, but they have shown work ethic, dedication and sacrifice in and out of the gym. They really have dedicated themselves to all of this. I really thought they could be a special team. I thought this team was capable of getting a trophy (top three)."

There's a battle for third place among Fremd (145.325), Glenbard West (145.525) and Prairie Ridge (145.4). Lake Forest sits in eighth (143.075) behind Glenbard North (143.95) and Hinsdale Central (143.875).

"We'll take away knowing we'll come back with a young team," said Lake Forest coach Robin Straus, whose team made its first appearance at state since 1985. "The girls will know much more what it's about. I thought we would do better with our team score."

Gotlund's final event, beam, stood out. She stuck her routine for the top preliminary score of (9.625). She also qualified for finals on vault (9.625) and bars (9.475).

Gotlund scored a 9.55 on floor but won't get an opportunity to compete in the finals because she didn't qualify back in the regional.

"There's a lot of talented girls, but I had a lot confidence that I could do it," said Gotlund. "I wanted to be consistent, but I made some mistakes here and there."

Castriano qualified for finals in three events: vault (9.7), beam (9.375) and bars (9.3).

"I was nervous going into vault with my ankles hurting," said Castriano, a sophomore, who hit a Yurchenko layout and got her career-best score. "I was able to stick it. I was happy taking fourth in the all-around with all the pressure. It was my goal for top five."

Carmel's Kristin Mirski qualified for finals on beam (9.575) and floor (9.425).

"When I did it, it was an amazing feeling," Mirski said. "I was doing what I was working on for so long."

Amber Mirski reached the finals on vault (9.675), floor (9.55) and bars (9.325). Her Carmel teammate Jen Zeller qualified on bars (9.35).

Warren's Katie Vovolka made finals on floor (9.375), and Lake Forest got through Ofelia Carmichael on vault (9.625) and Kylie Carlson (9.425).

Fallon Faia of Vernon Hills, in her final high school meet, finished tied for 26th on vault with Glenbard North's Mariia Meresi 9.375.

"I was glad to get here (to state), said Faia, who has been dealing with vascular migraines. "My career could have ended in a lot of different ways. It was a good way for my gymnastics to end. I feel lucky and have gone pretty far. It was nonstop working all the time."