Can anyone spoil it for host Lincoln-Way East?
The historic 60th annual IHSA boys gymnastics state meet is shaping up to be a competitive event this weekend in Frankfort.
The Elite Eight team competition gets under way Friday at 6 p.m. with host Lincoln Way (East) co-op favored to capture its second state championship in five years.
The meet features a new format this spring with the state all-around competition also being held Friday at 6 p.m. in conjunction with the team competition. Both the team and all-around champions will be crowned on Friday night for the first time.
The two-day event continues Saturday when the preliminary round of the state individual championship in all six events begins at noon.
Then the top 10 qualifiers, including ties, will battle it out for the state individual titles at 7 p.m. to close out the day.
Lincoln-Way co-op chalked a state-high 160.8 at sectionals. But the hosts will not have much room for error with second-seeded Wheaton co-op (158.7) and third-seeded Downers Grove North (157.65) ready to make a push for the top.
Mundelein will be making its first appearance in the Elite Eight since 2005, and the sectional champion Mustangs (150.15) will probably face some serious competition for fourth place from sectional champion Palatine (150.1) and top at-large squad Naperville North (149.65).
Highland Park co-op (148.35) is not too far behind those two teams, while Glenbrook South (144.55) rounds out the team field.
Besides competing in the team competition, Mundelein has freshman Colin McCarthy, senior Scott Marthinsen and junior Tim Beranek all competing in the all-around competition as well.
Freshman Cameron Mueller has been a huge contributor for the Mustangs on still rings, while senior teammate Alfredo Maldonado has been outstanding on parallel bars.
Third-year Mundelein coach Jesse Piland was happy to pull out the sectional championship. But he knows his team is capable of doing much better and the Mustangs will need to peak if they are to make any sort of an impact at state.
“We need everybody on the same page and we can’t be giving up points for missing little tricks in our routines and dismounts,” said Piland, whose team struggled to a 22.75 on pommel horse at sectionals. “If they even hope to contend at all we have to improve by a point to a point and a half on every event, but everything has to go right.”
Stevenson senior Mike Wilner will not be competing at state after missing the sectional meet due to a conflict with the USAG national meet last Saturday in California.
But the Illinois-bound standout did come away with a huge prize as Wilner won the gold medal on still rings at Level 10 in the national meet to close out his great high school career.
After winning their fourth state title in school history last spring, the Patriots will be represented by senior all-arounder Scott Siegel, who posted a very solid 51.2 at sectionals.
Lincoln-Way’s Ajani Cargle (55.6) and Wheaton’s Darren Fill (54.7) are expected to battle it out for the all-around title.
“Siegel can do very well (at state) and he has a good floor exercise routine and vault,” said Stevenson coach Mike Farina. “Scott was extremely consistent (at sectionals) and he did exactly what he had to do.”
After tying for 18th place in the state all-around as a junior, Libertyville’s Craig Breckenridge is ready to make a huge jump up the standings Friday. He won the Mundelein sectional with 52.95 points to rank him sixth heading into the competition.
“I want to get my dismount a lot cleaner on high bar and still rings,” said Breckenridge, who reached the state finals last year on still rings. “I’m definitely shooting for top 10 in the all-around, and I want to be top five if everything goes well.”
It will be the final state meet for Libertyville coach Curt Austin, who is retiring after pretty much dedicating his life to the sport.
“Our goal was to get (Breckenridge) to state on all six events and it was nice to see he was able to accomplish that,” said Austin, whose father coached at the high school and college level. “I’ve invested a lot of my life in this sport and I’ve grown up with it since I was a baby.”
Lake Zurich junior Matt Cacciatore qualified for state on floor exercise and vault. Huntley junior Travis Navarro reached state on vault, pommel horse, and high bar.