Schaumburg’s surge is one for the ages

The march onto the floor for opening ceremonies at the Niles North sectional probably seemed like a pretty long walk for 3-year-old Jaden Stilling.

It was nothing compared to the distance the Schaumburg girls gymnastics team has traveled in the last four years.

Jaden, the daughter of Schaumburg gymnastics coach Jami Stilling and football coach Mark Stilling, has been one of the Saxons’ biggest supporters, and she has had plenty to cheer about this season.

Schaumburg capped an implausible four-year climb by taking first at the Niles North sectional with a school-record 147.40, securing its first trip to the girls gymnastics meet starting Friday at 5:05 p.m. at Palatine.

And it hasn’t gone unnoticed by Jami Stilling, a 1993 Schaumburg graduate who was a four-time state qualifier.

“It’s crazy,” said Stilling of the Saxons’ ascent. “I’ve been coaching 10 years and we’ve been as low as 119 points, then we hit our first 130 in ages four years ago and it’s been up and up from there. So it’s incredible to see us scoring 147-plus and possibly more at state.”

Seniors Brooke Shimon and Caitlin Barrett, juniors Ashley Miller and Kristen Peterson, sophomores Caitlin Barrett and Amanda Sigler and freshman Kat Young have propelled the Saxons to new heights.

Shimon, Miller, Caitlin and Erin Barrett make up the core of the Saxons’ attack. The four have been together since they were 5 years old, bopping to the Spice Girls while car-pooling to the Gymkhana Gymnastics Club in Hanover Park.

Peterson, Sigler and Young have filled in the spaces while helping the Saxons reach their pinnacle.

Shimon has been the heart and soul of the team the last four years. The senior, who is a two-time state qualifier, has overcome two elbow surgeries and a broken left ankle in her first three years.

This year the senior is healthy and put it all together at the sectional by taking first in the all-around (37.60), bars (9.375), and beam (9.55).

“The first day we came in freshman year it was a pretty big shock,” said Shimon, who paired with senior Caitlin Barrett to inject life into the program. “To start from scratch and build up to finally forming the team that we have now is just crazy.”

“We didn’t know what to expect,” said Caitlin Barrett, who overcame a knee bruise late in the season to secure her first individual state berth this year in the bars and beam and steady the Saxons’ attack. “We wanted to be able to create a team over the years. Right now it’s like a dream compared to our freshman season.”

Miller entered the fray in 2008 and immediately had an impact as the Saxons hit 141.25 in early January 2009 and offered a glimpse of what was to come.

The talented junior had a breakout sophomore season, capped by the first of her two consecutive Mid-Suburban League all-around titles and an 11th-place finish on bars at the state meet.

This year Miller continued her assault by tying for second in the all-around (37.225), taking second on the beam (9.35), third on the vault (9.5), fourth on the bars (9.075) and tying for fifth on the floor (9.3) at the sectional.

“It might not mean as much to the younger girls because they haven’t been through as much as we have,” aid Miller. “But coming from where we started to where we are now, I couldn’t be happier how far we’ve come and what were going to accomplish at state.”

Erin Barrett didn’t waste any time when she joined the team last season. The sophomore has offered a cool demeanor and qualified individually on the beam this season.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” she said. “All the hard work we put in this year just for this, and we finally made it.”

Peterson, Sigler and Young have all added valuable points to the Saxons’ charge.

Last season Schaumburg was nipping at the heels of perrennial power Fremd and just missed winning the MSL title by .775 points.

This year the Saxons put it all together, winning their first MSL title and notching four school records for team scores. They capped the season by winning the first sectional title.

“We went into last year thinking we’d be good,” said Stilling, whose team was slowed by injuries to Shimon and Erin Barrett to start last season. “Even after we became healthy we still realized we weren’t as good as we wanted to be. That is when they really kicked it into gear.

“Last year was fun, but this year they came in as a team saying, ‘We have to stay together.’”

And boy, did they put it together.

Schaumburg had a dismal night on the beam in an early January triangular meet at Conant, but the Saxons came back to defeat Fremd, leading them to their first MSL West title.

A slow start on the vault in late January didn’t derail the Saxons from claiming their first MSL title.

And a so-so regional, specifically on floor exercise, couldn’t stop the Saxons from firing on all cylinders at the pressurized sectional meet.

“Earlier in my career I would have crumbled,” said Shimon, who came back from two falls on the floor at the regional meet to shine at the sectional meet. “I handled it better and was able to look at the big picture. I owed it to the team to bring it back up.”

“We knew we could make it,” said Miller of the Saxons’ march to state. “But we realized it was going to take a lot of hard work.”

And now the question is, in a state field that includes powerful Carmel, Stevenson, Lake Forest, Fremd, Hinsdale Central, Glenbard West, and Prairie Ridge, do they have anymore to give?

“Definitely,” said Stilling, “We’re enjoying this week and the buzz around school, but still knowing we’re not done.”

“We’ve gone from 119 our freshman year to 147.40 our senior year and making it to state,” said Caitlin Barrett, “We want to go out with a bang; we have really high expectations for ourselves.”

No one holds the Schaumburg gymnasts in higher esteem than the young Jaden Stilling, who has paraded in with the Saxons, help soothed aches and pains, and cheered on the team she idolizes.

In Jaden’s eyes, the Schaumburg gymnasts have always been perfect.

This weekend there will be a few more eyes on the Schaumburg team that has thrilled all season and is hoping to leave one more lasting impression.