Gurnee gymnasts end season on a high note
It was shaping up to be the perfect end to what had already been an outstanding season.
Ultimate Gymnastics’ Anna Brandmeier, competing in the Level 9 Eastern National Championships, was ahead of the field after three events. With only vault to go, the Carmel Catholic Junior was in first place in the all-around standings.
“I looked at the score sheet and just savored the moment,” Ultimate Head Coach Shane Sanders said. “However, I knew one of the girls in Anna’s age group had a phenomenal vault, so the last event was going to be really tough.”
Tough it certainly was. Anna’s closest rival after three events posted a 9.825 score, winning vault and leaving the Ultimate gymnast with a well-deserved silver medal in the all-around (36.80). Her second-place finish also goes into the Ultimate record books as the highest all-around placement at a National competition.
Anna’s outstanding meet, held in Worcester Mass., also included a bronze medal on uneven bars (9.35) and top 10 finishes on both beam (9.125) and floor exercise (9.20) in the Senior 7 age group.
The national meet was the icing on the cake of what had proved to be a superb season. Not only did Anna contribute to the Carmel Corsairs’ IHSA state title, she also won individual state titles for Ultimate at Level 9 on bars and floor and a regional gold medal on beam.
Also competing at the national meet was Gurnee’s Emily Basara. Up against strong opposition in the Junior 7 age group, the Woodland eighth-grader turned in some great performances, topped by a fourth-place finish on balance beam (9.20). Emily’s achievements were even more impressive when you take into account that this is her first year competing at Level 9.
Both Emily and Anna were part of gold medal-winning regional teams. They represented Region 5, made up of the top gymnasts from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky. In addition, the Regional 5 Super Team placed first across the whole National meet. Lake Forest’s Katherine Mckeon was a first alternate for the national meet and she traveled to the Boston area to cheer on her teammates.
The previous weekend had seen Ultimate’s Level 8 gymnasts in action at the regional finals — the climax to their season. Competing in Lansing, Mich., were Kelsey Stoecker and Krystal Kofoed, who both represented Warren on the high school circuit earlier this season.
Kelsey, whose performance at the Level 8 state meet earned her a spot on the Illinois Super Team, had much to celebrate. Competing in the Senior E age group at regionals, she won silver on uneven bars, scoring 9.475. Her all-around score of 36.325 placed her in a two-way tie for 10th place, out of field of 50 girls.
Her teammate Krystal Kofoed, hampered by an ankle injury sustained at the state meet, proved strong on her signature event — floor exercise. Her score of 9.30 was good enough for a sixth-place finish.
Individual scores are as follows:
Level 8 Regional finals, Lansing, Michigan
Senior E age group: Krystal Kofoed: Vault: 8.325; Bars: 8.25; Beam: 8.65; Floor: 9.30 (6th); All-around: 34.525.
Kelsey Stoecker: Vault: 9.025; Bars: 9.475 (2nd); Beam: 8.65; Floor: 9.175; All-around: 36.325 (10th).
Level 9 Eastern National meet, Worcester, Massachusetts
Junior 7 age group: Emily Basara: Vault: 9.25; Bars: 8.20; Beam: 9.20 (4th); Floor: 9.10; All-around: 35.75.
Senior 7 age group: Anna Brandmeier: Vault: 9.125; Bars: 9.35 (3rd); Beam: 9.125 (6th); Floor: 9.20 (5th); All-around: 36.80 (2nd).
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