Valley co-op already on top of its game
The Waubonsie Valley/Metea Valley co-op girls gymnastics team was without two of its top gymnasts during Monday's triangular against Hinsdale South and Wheaton Warrenville South co-op.
The absence of the injured Jessice Malon and Jordyn Penny didn't stop Waubonsie Valley/Metea Valley from winning, though, as it finished with a total of 132.85. Wheaton Warrenville South co-op was the runner-up with a 129.95 and Hinsdale South closed with a 115.4.
“It was a really good meet for us with a different varsity lineup,” Waubonsie Valley/Metea Valley co-op coach Nicole Daly said. “It's good to see the girls work hard and feed off of each other and they know it can be a special year for us.”
Maddie Strick won the all-around with a 34.85 to lead WV/MV. She rebounded nicely after struggling on her birthday with a 31.2 in the team's opener last Wednesday.
“She had mistakes on beam to start (last Wednesday) and when one thing goes wrong sometimes she gets into her own head,” Daly said. “Today she started strong on bars and it was uphill from there.”
In addition to winning bars with an 8.8, Strick won vault with an 8.75 and the floor exercise with an 8.65.
The winners also received strong contributions from Nina Brandenburg and Laura Burns. Brandenburg's top scores were an 8.65 in the floor exercise and 8.6 on vault, while Burns finished with an 8.45 on vault and an 8.2 in the floor exercise.
“Laura is going real well on floor and was solid on beam as well,” Daly said. “Next week Nina will probably be doing (all-around). She's just a perfectionist and she's just returned to gymnastics.”
The debut of the new Wheaton Warrenville South co-op team pretty much went as expected for coach Maureen Latimer.
Wheaton Warrenville South merged with Wheaton North co-op to form the new program this winter. The merger brought West Chicago standout Kristina Terry aboard while the team welcomed the return on Monday of Sarah Deicke and Emily Cook, a pair of juniors who were injured last year.
“I was looking at the low end of 130 for the first meet and we came up a little short,” Latimer said. “But we've usually been starting in the mid 120s and we do have a lot of potential.”
Cook led the team with an all-around total of 32.85. She also paced the team with an 8.65 on beam and an 8.5 in the floor exercise. Deicke had the team's best effort on bars with an 8.1 and Terry did the same on vault with an 8.5.
“They're not working at their full capacity yet and are still getting their skills back,” Latimer said. “But it's just the start of the year too and those full routines and passes will come.”