The sky’s the limit for Fremd’s Uhrich

The first time Fremd senior Stephanie Uhrich sported a uniform was for the Palatine Gymnastic Club, in fourth grade.

It only seems like she’s been in one sports outfit or another ever since.

Whether in the air or water or on the ground, Uhrich has excelled. She has qualified to the state meet in three sports, a grand total of six times — and the Vikings senior may be saving her best for last.

In the fall, Uhrich qualified for her second consecutive state meet in diving, and just missed making the finals by one spot.

In the winter, Uhrich qualified for her third consecutive gymnastics state meet and helped Fremd to a fourth-place finish.

This spring Uhrich is looking to qualify for her second consecutive trip to the track and field state meet. Last year she medaled with a ninth-place finish in the high jump.

And to top things off Uhrich gets it done in the classroom. The Viking senior is one of the 26 students to be selected to the 2011-12 IHSA All-State Academic Team. The 13 male and 13 female honorees of the IHSA’s top academic honor were chosen from a group that included more than 450 students throughout the state.

Not too bad of a resume.

“She’s the whole package,” said Fremd track coach Hali Yoshimura. “She’s a student, an athlete, and a leader. Each time she puts on the uniform she is a top-rate athlete.”

“She’s one of those rare athletes with drive and determination,” said Fremd gymnastic coach Tim Hamman. “Put those two factors together and you have a special athlete. And then you add her academics … it’s incredible.”

Uhrich has been a fast learner in the high jump. As a freshman she cleared 4-foot-8 on her first-ever attempt. She made 5-4 in taking ninth place at last season’s Class 3A meet. The medal immediately made her a player on the state level.

And the Vikings senior doesn’t seem to be slowing down this season, having secured a fourth-place medal indoors last weekend at the Illinois Prep Top Times Meet.

“I was happy, but it wasn’t my best meet,” said Uhrich, who’d cleared 5-5 twice indoors this season, including her first-place finish at the Mid-Suburban League indoor meet. “It was a good experience and I was able to face some of the best in state.”

Uhrich is used to that pressure. The Fremd senior has been a part of the Vikings state-qualifying gymnastic teams for four consecutive years, including its third-place finish in 2010.

“I have a lot of practice with pressure,” said Uhrich of her state meet experience. “Knowing not to let pressure bother me definitely helps. You can’t let one jump, one dive, or one skill you do affect the rest of your meet.

“Not letting it affect you or get to your head definitely is something I work on.”

It showed at last year’s state finals in the high jump, when Uhrich missed on her first attempt at 5-0. The then junior came back without a miss before the bar was moved to 5-5 in earning her first state medal.

The aerial skills she has perfected in gymnastics have also aided her in both diving and in the high jump. She is able to twist and contort her body with unusual control.

“It’s huge,” said Fremd jumps coach Jeremy Herriges of her body awareness. “She has a sense of where the bar is and can really manipulate her body over it in a way most athletes can’t.”

The Viking senior has been in the pool, the gym, or on the track since the start of the school year and still has maintained a spiffy 4.2272 weighted GPA while taking honor classes.

While she was preparing for the state diving competition, Uhrich had already joined the gymnastics team for season opening practice. And the Vikings senior took only one day off after the gymnastic season before joining her track teammate and then clearing a personal best 5-5 a week after competing in the gymnastics state meet.

“I like the fact that Steph is so well rounded athletically, but she is very open minded to using her talents,” said Yoshimura. “Her attitude in general is just so positive, she’s just mentally tough.”

It must run in the family. Her twin sister Elizabeth has been by her side for four years in helping the Vikings qualify to the state gymnastic meet, she has also qualified two consecutive years in diving, and also sports a 3.9 GPA.

While Elizabeth is not a member of the track team, she is one of Stephanie’s biggest fans in the spring.

“I think we balance each other out,” said Elizabeth who was co-captain with Stephanie for gymnastics. “We’re not competitive, but we definitely push each other. And I’m there to support her in the spring.”

And her supporters have had a lot to cheer about this year.

In the fall Uhrich finished second in diving at the Mid-Suburban League meet and came back to win the diving title at the Barrington sectional before finishing 13th at state.

She then won the all-around title at the MSL gymnastics meet, and advanced from the Lake Park sectional to the state meet with an at-large bid on the parallel bars and balance beam before excelling in the indoor track season.

Uhrich has developed from a raw talent to one of the elite high jumpers in state. While she is still at the development stage with the jumps, her talent gives her a high ceiling, and she is looking to reach it in college.

“She’s such a strong athlete that the potential was always there,” said Herriges of Uhrich’s high jump prowess. “Her approach is just about as clean as I’ve seen at the state level. It’s all coming together.”

Whatever jersey she happens to don, Uhrich has made a habit of delivering.

And she’s not quite done yet.

“I’m definitely looking to go higher,” said Uhrich of the impending season. “I like to succeed when I’m competing, but at the same time I like working for things. That gives me a goal and somewhere I want to be. It makes it a little more fun.”

For an athlete that spends most of her time in the air, Uhrich is very well grounded.