Kuksuk’s return has Palatine beaming
Don’t let Nicole Kuksuk’s quiet and humble demeanor fool you.
Inside burns a competitive fire that helped elevate the Palatine junior gymnast to new heights.
Despite being limited by a late-season back injury, Kuksuk aided Palatine’s late charge last year.
Kuksuk is counting on that same drive this season to overcome her back injury and help lead a talented Pirate squad.
“She has a lot of good stuff,” said Palatine coach Terry Theobald of his junior star. “She is more of a fluid dance person, but she has good skills.”
Those skills helped lift Kuksuk to back-to-back state qualifications in her freshman and sophomore seasons.
Kuksuk took third in the all-around at the Mid-Suburban League meet last season. She added third-place finishes on the beam (9.6) and vault (9.275) at the Stevenson regional and continued her late-season charge by qualifying on the beam, floor, vault and all-around for the state meet.
And she did all this despite a back injury which sidelined her for six months during the off-season.
“I don’t want to say what I could’ve or should’ve done at state if I didn’t have the back pain,” Kuksuk said of the persistent pain. “But I would have had so much less to worry about.”
Kuksuk showed promise as a freshman by qualifying for state on the floor. She had a breakout sophomore season, taking first on the beam at the MSL meet and adding a third-place finish in the all-around.
Kuksuk helped fuel a late-season charge by Palatine. The Pirates scored a 142.425 to finish fourth in the MSL, added a 143.55 to take second at the Stevenson regional and then hit it big by scoring a season-best 143.625 at a loaded Stevenson sectional.
Palatine finished sixth at the talented sectional with the top five teams all advancing to the state meet, including eventual state champion Carmel and second-place Lake Forest.
The Stevenson sectional proved to be a turning point for a young Pirates’ squad. They hope it’s a springboard for this season.
“Every meet we just kept getting better and better,” added Theobald. “I think the pressure was off and we just went out there and performed. This year I think we’ll be a little more prepared, we have more talent and more skill. We just have to fill the gaps.”
And the Pirates should be able to fill those gaps with a talented junior class that includes Kuksuk, Abby Alden, Megan Hedstrom and Alissa Jordan. Senior Marissa Mallon also returns after taking a year off to add to a team that includes two promising freshmen in Andrea Ori and Claudia Prystal.
“We all realized we had a lot of potential,” said Alden of the Pirates success. ‘We started focusing more and it helped.”
“We knew we were going to put everything together and make it big,” added Hedstrom, “I think this year we are ready to buckle down and show what we can do.”
And the Pirates will have to do it early without the full services of Kuksuk, who will be brought along slowly in the first half of the season.
Kuksuk had to wear a back brace for two months and did not start practicing on a limited basis until mid-July.
But the junior received the all-clear medically in late November and hopes to return in the all-around in early January.
The Pirates will be banking on Kuksuk’s talent, drive and heart to lift them during crunchtime at season’s end.
Kuksuk has flashed her talent the first two years, especially on beam with her smooth aerials and daring flip-flop Arabian pike dismount.
“I get really shaky but I try to hide it,” said Kuksuk of her flawless beam routine. “I try to think of one skill at a time and pretend no one is watching.”
The junior’s drive was in full display at last season’s state meet, when she had a fall on her beam dismount but came back to nail her floor routine with a 9.250 to secure 14th place.
“I put all my anger into that routine,” said Kuksuk, who shook off the beam disappointment to nail her floor routine.
But it was her heart that stood out the most in the Pirates’ late-season surge.
Kuksuk had every reason to slow down after injuring her back, but she elevated her performance and it carried her right to the state meet.
“It was her goal to make it all the way to state,” said Alden of Kuksuk’s desire. “We all supported that.”
“She has been struggling with her back, but she has been doing everything she can to come back,” added Hedstrom. “She has the heart to do this sport.”
Kuksuk didn’t waste much time after getting the medical all-clear. She was back on the vault runway and shaking off the rust in a late-November practice.
Kuksuk and the Pirates realize they have many obstacles to overcome before hopefully zeroing in on a state berth, but they are willing to put in the hard work for another late-season charge.
“It was almost unbelievable in how much we improved last season,” said Kuksuk. “It will be tough in the beginning this year, but we’ll be ready to kick it into high gear at the end.”
“We just have to keep working hard, adding new and stronger skills with more confidence.”
It is safe to say Kuksuk and the Pirates are off and running.