Girls gymnastics: LZ nips Warren to take 2nd at NSC meet
After going 5-0 in the regular season, Lake Forest proved it was truly the best girls gymnastics team in the North Suburban Conference meet Thursday night.
The Scouts soared to the NSC championship with 145.2 points at Stevenson.
The battle for second place was a great one, and it was Lake Zurich that managed to hold off Warren 138.525 to 138.35 to take home runner-up honors.
The fight for fourth place was also a close one as the host Patriots edged Libertyville 135.5 to 134.625. Mundelein rounded out the field with 130.425 points.
Led by all-around champion Izzy Lorenz (37.25 points), Lake Forest's depth was outstanding as the Scouts had the top three all-arounders in the meet. Stevenson freshman Kate Staub came up big as she finished in a fourth-place tie (35.6) points with Lake Forest's Franca Stohlgren in the all-around.
Warren sophomore Nora Werner placed sixth overall followed by Stevenson's Samantha Matzek (34.5 points) in seventh. Lake Zurich's foursome of Ella Babcock (34.475) in eighth, Emily Hills (34.4) in ninth, Mia McHugh (34.35) in 10th, and Gianna Mirabella (34.2) in 11th helped carry the Bears to second place.
"We had a pretty good day today, but our top all-arounder (McHugh) had an off day today," said Lake Zurich coach Chelsie Groteleuschen, whose team scored 35.325 points on balance beam. "I think our highlight was beam and we only had to count two falls on beam so that is better than where we've been."
Staub was the vault champion with a 9.5 while she added a second-place 9.35 on floor exercise. Werner placed second on uneven bars with a 9.3 while teammate Emilia Montes (9.25) placed third on balance beam.
"We had unusual falls today on beam, floor and bars so we're just focusing on little things for regionals," said Warren coach Mary Kovac, whose team will compete at the Stevenson regional on Monday. "She (Werner) competed on vault for the first time this season. I was proud of her, and she added some new skills on floor."
Warren's Hailey Hamann (9.1) placed third on floor to nip Libertyville's MacKenzie Tyrell (9.0) in fourth, and Stevenson's Paige Bernadette (8.9) in fifth. The Patriots' young squad also got a fifth-place 9.0 from Samantha Matzek on uneven bars.
"I'm really pleased with them. It wasn't a perfect meet, but it's the best we've done so far," said Stevenson coach Judy Harwood, whose team posted a season-high score. "It's a young team with a lot of freshmen on the varsity, and it's nice to do well at home."
Led by Staub, the Patriots' squad has a bright future as they look forward to next season and beyond. Staub has high hopes heading into the IHSA series next week.
"It was a really good meet for me. I'm very happy with how I did and I think there's areas I can improve in but for sure this is one of my better meets," said Staub, whose team scored 35.45 points on floor exercise. "I really want to make it to state, I think I can, and I'll practice hard for sure."