Smooth sailing for Wheaton
One more to go.
The Wheaton co-op boys gymnastics became the first team to advance to the IHSA state finals, winning Wednesday’s Wheaton Warrenville South sectional with a 158.70. Elk Grove finished a distant second with a 140.950, followed by Addison Trail with a 128.1.
A week from Friday, Wheaton co-op will aim for its first state title since 2005.
“We still have some improvements to make, but I felt pretty good about how the kids grinded through some of the harder routines,” Wheaton co-op coach Chad Downie said. “For the most part I thought it was a good meet. We just had to get through to the state meet, that’s all that matters.”
Senior Darren Fill finished his final home meet in style, winning still rings with a 9.05, vault with a 9.4 and tying Glenbard West’s Adam Solowiej for top honors on parallel bars with an 8.7. Fill also won the all-around title with a 54.7.
“We had a lot of confidence going in and also knowing we have another week to build,” Fill said. “I don’t think we’ve peaked yet, but we need to peak in a week.”
Wheaton co-op’s Mark Ciesielski tied Glenbard North’s Ryan Kennedy for first place on floor with a 9.55, while teammate Mike Brackmann won high bar with a 9.45 and captured third in the all-around with a 52.4. Freshman Ethan Sansone showed no signs of jitters in his first state series competition for Wheaton co-op, tying for second place on pommel horse and taking third on floor.
Elk Grove was led by Nick Alcazar, who finished in the top five on high bar and floor and secured the fifth and final automatic all-around qualifier with a 48.75. Teammate Damian Zukowski was third on parallel bars with an 8.6.
“We had a rough meet and didn’t hit as much as we needed to stay alive,” Elk Grove coach Keith Mukai said. “We went 147.1 at conference and were pretty clean, but tonight we had major mistakes and couldn’t recover.”
Glenbard North’s Ryan Kennedy took second place in the all-around with a 53 and advanced in all six events.
“I’ve got a cold and allergies and then I hurt my palm in warmups so I was worried,” he said. “I didn’t let it get to me though and worked through it and it paid off in the end.”
West Aurora’s Doug Sullivan won pommel horse with a 9.3 and took fourth in the all-around with a 52.
“Winning horse was my main goal so that was real good,” he said. “I got my best score overall so far this year so I felt really good about that and this is the most I’ve made it to state in multiple events.”
Lake Park’s Mac Allen tied Glenbard West’s Harrison Meyer and Brackmann for second place on still rings with an 8.2. The Hilltoppers Perry Zumbrook tied for fourth on vault with a 9.1 and Addison Trail’s Dan Smith was second on vault with a 9.25.
Meyer, Solowiej and Zumbrook give the Hilltoppers three state qualifiers.
“It’s great for those guys,” Glenbard West coach Frank Novakowski said. “Harrison was an at-large last year, Adam busts his butt in the gym everyday so that’s a great reward for him and Perry’s a hardworking freshman.”