Boys gymnastics: Scouting Lake County
INDEPENDENT CONFERENCE
LIBERTYVILLE
Coach: Josh Cimo (seventh season)
Last season: second in Independent Conference, fourth in sectionals
Top graduated seniors: A.J. Jacob (ninth on state high bar), Erik Meyer, Jake Reichert
Top returning competitors: senior Pat Tanski (all-around, state qualifier on still rings, vault, and parallel bars); juniors Matt Neuberger (all-around, state qualifier on high bar), Tyler Kukla (all-around)
Key newcomers: sophomores Max Faber (all-around), Kevin Stone (four events); freshman Robert Cartwright (all-around)
Outlook: Despite losing some key contributors to graduation, the Wildcats have already started off the 2018 season strongly with 145.6 points in a dual meet against archrival Mundelein. Tanski has a lot of state meet experience under his belt, and he was joined at state by Neuberger in 2017. But the addition of key newcomers Faber and Cartwright should breathe some life into the Libertyville program this spring and coach Cimo has pretty high hopes for his young squad. "Both of them (Faber and Cartwright) have club gym experience, Max was at LGA (Libertyville Gymnastics Academy), and Robert was at the Gym Spot," said Cimo, whose team had its highest score ever to start the new campaign. "Pat Tanski has really stepped it up a lot this year, he's our captain this year, and we couldn't find a more suited role for him." As for the keys to success, Cimo said his team will be focusing on a few main things heading into this season. "We really need to develop our routines more than we did in the past and add some new skills which could add as much as three points per event," said Cimo, whose team looks strong on parallel bars and vault in the early stages of the season. "From the skill level we have now compared to previous years I would say that we have a lot of potential." The Wildcats may be hard-pressed to reach the storied Elite Eight meet this season. But if they can score near the 150-point plateau at the sectional meet they will definitely be one of the contenders to earn one of the three at-large berths to the state team tournament based on scores from recent years.
MUNDELEIN
Coach: Jesse Piland (10th season)
Last season: first in Independent Conference, second in sectionals (ninth-best score in state)
Top graduated seniors: Greg Godellas (23rd in state all-around, ninth on pommel horse), Yianni Wiechering (state qualifier on three events)
Top returning competitors: seniors Tyler Collins (all-around, 25th in state all-around), Carson Bernett (all-around); juniors Will Ferro (all-around, state qualifier on pommel horse), Angel Davis (all-around)
Key newcomers: senior Kurt Lawrence (all-around); freshman Kyle Massell (all-around)
Outlook: With the ninth best score in sectional meets, the Mustangs just missed qualifying for the state meet by one place last spring as a record three squads from the Mid-Suburban League reached the 66th annual IHSA state meet. But when you talk about an influx of new talent Mundelein may have just stolen the show as first-year high school gymnast and senior newcomer Lawrence appears to have made the Mustangs an instant candidate for a return to the Elite Eight, and even a possible top-three trophy if all goes well. Just the all-around trio of Lawrence, Collins, and Ferro alone have already proven to be a formidable force as they combined to score a whopping 155.9 points already in just their second meet of the season against Libertyville. "We're going to be competitive if nobody gets hurt, and we just have to stay healthy," said coach Piland, whose storied program is zeroing in on their 22nd trip to the Elite Eight meet in school history after just missing the cut last year. "We have to pick up some trick along the way because a lot of these other teams are going to get better along the way so we need to do the same thing too." Piland is still cautious that his squad may be on the bubble to earn one of the eight berths to the state team competition. But based on early results, Mundelein should definitely be among the field when the state meet moves to Hoffman Estates on May 11. "We just missed the chance to host one of the sectional meets last year," said Piland, whose team lost to host Hinsdale Central 151.3 to 150.55 last year at sectionals. "We're looking like one of those bubble teams again, but hopefully this year we'll be on the inside of the bubble instead of outside the bubble." Glenbard West nipped Lyons by a mere .20 points to capture the 2017 state team title, and both of those teams will probably be in the mix for a top-three trophy this spring along with Deerfield and Wheaton co-op which has been a perennial powerhouse over the past decade.
STEVENSON
Coach: Joe Rogalski (third season)
Last season: fourth in Independent Conference, eighth in sectionals
Top graduated seniors: Matt Krames (four-time state qualifier, 2016 state floor exercise champion, cheerleading at Iowa), Karan Menon, Adi Crook, Alan Chin, Jacob Rosenberg, Kent Lee, Leo Aquino, Patryk Wierzchucki
Top returning competitors: senior Danny Less (all-around)
Key newcomers: juniors Aaron Rufloff (all-around), Ben Rufloff (all-around), Jake Kadzielawski (all-around), Jack Motta (floor exercise, high bar)
Outlook: With 11 seniors lost to graduation, including elite all-arounder Krames who was a member of the 2015 state championship team, the Patriots squad was definitely decimated by some huge departures to college following the 2017 season. Stevenson's program has been a model of consistency with nine top-three trophies dating back to 1999 when the Patriots took home third place. But this is looking like much more of a rebuilding season for the Pats with no club gymnasts on their squad as the 67th Annual IHSA state meet moves from Hinsdale Central to Hoffman Estates this year on May 11-12.
Less is expected to be the top returning all-arounder leading the squad while the Patriots have four hardworking juniors who will be trying to fill in a lot of the holes that will be left in their lineup in absence of Krames. Coach Rogalski is hoping that Less can provide senior leadership for Stevenson's pretty inexperienced varsity squad while the younger gymnasts will show rapid improvement as the season unfolds.