Crown Carmel state champs — again
Oh what a night — and weekend — for Carmel Catholic's girls gymnastics team.
Seniors Kristin Mirski and Sarah Cohen-Smith, along with junior Lauren Feely, were crowned individual champions on Saturday night.
And all the Corsairs gymnasts stood atop the podium reserved for team champions, making it five total and three straight for Carmel.
The Corsairs finished with the top score of 151.175. Stevenson placed second (149.175) and Prairie Ridge was third (148.175) in the state finals at Palatine High School.
“They all had such great stuff,” Carmel coach Sarah Doyle said. “It could be hard for the group, but the girls not once let it hurt them. They kept working to improve every step. They knew what to do most of the time.”
The Corsairs now trail only Fremd (12 team titles) in the state all-time list. Carmel is tied for second with Stevenson and Addison Trail.
Mirski started her night by receiving an honor for gymnast of the year. She then tied for first place on floor exercise with DeKalb's Alyssa Lopez (9.70), earned second place on vault (9.85) and tied for third on bars with Sydney Plichta of Fremd (9.50).
“It's such an amazing feeling with a three-peat and winning state twice in a row on floor,” Mirski said. “Every single event, I would look up and realize that this was my last time. I wanted to go out there and do my best. I had no regrets.”
Feely also was a two-time champion on the beam for a second straight year. Feely scored a 9.575 and finished first. Feely also finished third on vault (9.85) and tied for fifth on floor with Prospect's Gianna Scala (9.55).
“I wasn't trying to defend my title,” Feely said. “I was trying to go out and just do my beam routine. It was all amazing and unbelievable. I wasn't sure if the score would hold up.”
Cohen-Smith hit a career-best vault by landing her Yurchenko layout with both feet planted for a winning score of 9.875.
“It was my second one, I was just involved in the moment,” said Cohen-Smith, who finished fifth last year. “I remember looking back for my mom (Carol) and looking forward for my teammates.
“I was oblivious and didn't know what happened. Then I saluted and my coach (Sarah Doyle) came up to me and said ‘Congratulations.' It was all unbelievable.”
Stevenson's Ali Castriano finished a four-year career with a total of nine medals. Castriano tied for second on beam Saturday with Rachael Underwood of Prairie Ridge (9.55) and tied for fourth with Lopez of DeKalb on vault (9.725) to go with a tie for fifth on bars with Lake Forest's Kylie Carlson (9.45).
“I didn't want to put pressure on myself,” said Castriano, who went 4-for-4 and was a beam champion two years ago. “I'm really excited with doing my best in my last meet ever.”
Lisa Wajswol became the first Mundelein girls gymnast to take home a medal; she scored 9.325 for fifth on the beam.
“I couldn't picture it any better,” said Wajswol, who was first up on the beam. “I was kind of nervous but I was able to get up there and do what I had to do.
“I definitely knew what I had to do as an individual to get it. When I finished, I couldn't help but smile.”
The other area gymnasts scores in the finals: Carmel's Anna Brandmeier (10th on vault, 8.85) and teammate Jen Zeller (10th on floor, 8.9) and Vernon Hills' Alli Tran (seventh on bars, 9.425, and 11th on vault, 9.45).