Neuqua Valley adapts
Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie/Metea Valley co-op share the same gym for practices and meets.
On Thursday they shared the same dilemma - missing gymnasts.
With multiple performing arts concerts scheduled at the same time as Thursday's DuPage Valley Conference opener, both teams had to juggle their lineups and promote JV gymnasts.
Neuqua Valley adapted best, easily beating Waubonsie/Metea Valley co-op, 123.85 to 111.1.
The Wildcats were without two of their top returning gymnasts, juniors Colleen Moauro and Shalinee Abraham, but still nearly equaled the 124.45 they scored in last Wednesday's season opener at Hinsdale South with a full varsity squad.
"Our score was close to what we had last week with our whole team so I was very pleased to see the major improvements during the week and with some girls moving up," Wildcats coach Darragh McDermott said. "We had a bunch out, but our score was pretty much the same, which was very good to see."
Neuqua Valley freshmen Imani Porter, Olivia Nelson and Krysta Leland certainly stepped up. Porter won the bars with a 7.3 and was the meet's top all-arounder with a 31.1, while Nelson won beam with an 8.45 and Leland was second on vault with an 8.25 and third on bars with a 7.
Some upperclassmen contributed as well as junior Karina Hiltenbrand had the top score on vault with an 8.3 and was second in the all-around with a 30.75. Senior Deepika Ramachandran was second on vault with an 8.25 and third on floor with an 8.
"I felt good because I scored the highest on vault and floor that I've ever done before," Ramachandran said. "My beam may not have been the best. I could've done better, but that was one of the highest scores I've ever had so I'm proud of myself after this meet and proud of my team too."
Having Claire Samojedney, Jessica Houghton, Melissa Martin and Jenny Couch out of action really limited the co-op as its score was 15.2 points less than what it totaled in Darien last Wednesday.
"The choir concert took half the team, but for the girls we had I thought we really pulled it together," Waubonsie/Metea Valley co-op coach Phillip Gilmer said. "It was a good opportunity for some freshmen to move up to varsity, because they have the skill and to show what they can do and how they fit in the lineup."
Those two freshmen competed as all-arounders as Ishika Punhani had a 28.75 with a high of 7.6 on vault and Rachel Stokes finished with a 28.4 with a high of 7.9 on vault.
The co-op got its best results from two sophomores, including Emma Holtan who took third in the all-around with a 30.25. She also was third on vault, beam and floor.
"It was a pretty good meet for me," Holtan said. "I sprained my ankle about a month and a half ago so coming back, this was pretty good. It was also nice to be in the same gym where we train and to see a lot of familiar faces."
Sophomore teammate Jordyn Barnhart won floor with an 8.6 and was second on bars with a 7.2.