Health concerns aside, Mundelein looks strong
There are still some concerns ahead, but overall the future looks bright for the Mundelein boys gymnastics team this spring.
The Mustangs headed into the season without elite senior all-rounder Tim Beranek at full strength. He suffered a stress fracture in his left wrist about three months ago.
Not having Beranek at 100 percent is a major concern for Mundelein, but the Mustangs look like they will have plenty of depth and experience to make a serious push for a return trip to the Elite Eight state meet in early May.
The Mustangs’ program has been a model of excellence in IHSA competition with a total of 17 Elite Eight appearances and six state titles dating back to 1989.
Besides Beranek (27th in the all-around at state), Mundelein has sophomore Colin McCarthy (17th in state all-around) ready to make a big step up at the state meet in Frankfort.
“The team is going to go on Tim and Colin, and then (Kevin) Franz, and (Cameron) Mueller, and (Maurice) Ruff will try to fill that third spot on every event,” said Mundelein coach Jesse Piland, whose team placed seventh in 2011. “Obviously a lot of things are up in the air because we’re not healthy. But if everybody is health, I think we can get back to state, and as things stand we should be one of the teams that gets back to state.”
Mundelein does have one huge wild card to turn to, as sophomore transfer student Jacob Petri is expected to give the squad a big lift when he is eligible to compete starting Tuesday. The all-rounder from Wisconsin should help pick up some of the major void left behind by the graduation of elite all-rounder Scott Marthinsen.
“Reaching state is our main goal and winning sectionals is another main goal,” said Beranek, who has also been battling a very high fever lately. “I really haven’t been back fully yet, but I plan for my best three events to be pommel horse, high bar and floor exercise.”
“Staying healthy is going to be the key because we have all the skills and all the guys we need,” added Beranek. “Colin (McCarthy) has been a huge contributor to the team and we really rely on him a lot, especially on floor exercise.”
Even without their full lineup intact, Mundelein scored a solid 138.6 in a recent dual meet against Libertyville so reaching the 150-point barrier by the end of the season is certainly a reasonable goal.
“I feel like our team is going to be strong and I think Tim is recovering fast from his wrist injury,” said McCarthy, whose best event is floor. “I definitely think we can make it to state again and we have a lot of potential. With my new tricks hopefully I can get in the top 10 (all-around) this year.”
No matter which way you slice it, the Mustangs once again look like a big-time contender to reach the state meet for the 18th time while heading for another Independent Conference championship if all goes well.
“Once Colin polishes up his routines he should be in contention for an all-around medal (top five), and Tim is just rock solid,” said Piland, who is in his fourth season as head coach. “I feel bad for Tim because he is hurt and he has to watch everything happen. But I can’t say enough about what he has done for me in the gym. He’s just a leader, and I’m lucky to have him.”