Determination sends Carmel back to state
Jen Zeller of Carmel didn’t hit her first vault on Thursday night, instead landing hard on her hands and knees. But showing determination, composure and courage, Zeller went right back on the horse and recovered, hitting her Yurchenko layout.
“I was really excited and pumped,” said Zeller, who received a 9.425 score. “When I went to do my vault, I did something completely different with my hands and didn’t know where I was on the landing. So I had to calm myself to do another vault without freaking out. I knew I could do the skill. Once I did it, I was so relieved.”
Carmel Catholic’s girls gymnastics team shares that relief. The Corsairs will be making another trip to the state finals next weekend at Palatine High School, where they’ll be chasing a third straight championship.
The Corsairs landed top honors Thursday with 151.75 at the Niles North sectional in Skokie. Three other teams at Niles North qualified to state as at-large teams: Stevenson (146.875), New Trier (145.95) and Lake Forest (145.375).
Rounding out the state field are Prairie Ridge (147.25), Fremd (146.975), Glenbard North (146.35) and Lyons (144.05).
“The girls had a good meet,” Carmel coach Sarah Doyle said. “Floor wasn’t as clean as regionals. Beam was heartbreaking, because we had a couple of girls who could have made the finals.
“Sectionals is the worst of the three (state series). This was the hardest, with all the pressure. We are there, and we got the monkey off our back. Now we can have fun at state.”
Kristin Mirski was the top all-arounder (38.45). She also hit the top spot on floor (9.7), placed second on vault (9.8), fourth on beam (9.475) and tied with Lake Forest’s Katherine McKeon and New Trier’s Kerry Scafidi on bars (9.475).
“I really came in this meet with an open mind and ready to contribute,” Mirski said. “I was prepared, ready and confident.”
Mirski’s teammate Lauren Feely tied for second in the all-around with Stevenson’s Ali Castriano (38.15). Zeller was fourth (38) and Kylie Carlson of Lake Forest was fifth (37.675).
Feely won vault (9.85) and took second on floor (9.65). Zeller tied for first with Ashley Bernardo of Northside on bars (9.575), took fourth on floor (9.55) and tied with Mundelein’s Lisa Wajswol on beam (9.45).
Stevenson needed a boost on the beam after three straight falls. Alyssa Weisberg stepped up, placing third, and Castriano followed with a 9.575, good for second.
“I knew I had to take things slowly in my routine and take things step by step,” said Weisberg, a freshman. “It was definitely a mental thing. I do the same routine in practices. I knew that I could do it.”
Castriano also placed third on vault (9.675) and third on bars (9.5).
Alli Tran of Vernon Hills took fifth on vault (9.6).
“I thought I did well in 3 of my 4 events,” said Tran, who will have to wait and see if she qualified at-large in floor and bars. “I think there’s more pressure here (sectional) than at state, because you have to get there first. This is a different type of an experience — a lot of nerves and excitement.”