Girls gymnastics: St. Charles co-op edges Fremd to win regional
The Fremd IHSA girls gymnastics regional was a good one Thursday night as the host Vikings squared off against St. Charles co-op for a berth to the Conant sectional next Monday at stake.
The North Stars/Saints lineup was missing a key piece with injured sophomore all-arounder Natalie Sieloff. But St. Charles co-op was still able to get the job done as it won the championship over the Vikings by a 139.75 to 138.2 score.
Fremd still earned an at-large team berth to sectionals as did Hersey. The rest of the sectional field will include regional champions Palatine, Prairie Ridge and Conant.
Fremd freshman Alexandra Szczygiel won the all-around competition with 35.725 points (8.93 average) to edge St. Charles freshman Payton Han (35.225 points) in second place. The top five individuals in each event and all-around advanced to sectionals. Twelve at-large individuals from the four regionals that feed into the Conant sectional will also compete next week.
"It was our season-high by about seven-tenths, but our top all-arounder (Sieloff) missed the meet due to an eye injury yesterday in practice," said St. Charles coach Tim Wirth, who expects Sieloff to return for sectionals. "I'm extremely happy to get this score without her, and we probably would have scored 141 to 142 with her."
Rolling Meadows junior Isabel Beverung (34.675 points) took third in the all-around while Fremd's Rylee Sammons (34.225) placed fourth. St. Charles' Abby Werner and Fremd's Megan Boeke (33.825) tied for fifth overall while Wheeling's Sierra Kuhlman (32.9) placed seventh.
"I'm very happy how they performed and they improved a lot since the start of the season," said Fremd coach Kacey Kronforst. "It was her (Szczygiel's) best meet, she was locked in tonight, and she recovered really well after falling on her bars routine."
Szczygiel won balance beam (9.55) and floor exercise (9.35) while Sammons (8.925) won uneven bars. Fremd sophomore Sydney Szwec and St. Charles' Arianna Halick tied for first on vault (9.025).
"I am so proud of how our team did. We put in the work and we earned everything we got tonight," said Szczygiel. "I think all of the training in the gym paid off, and we're all excited for sectionals."
The North Stars/Saints went 2-3-4 on uneven bars behind Han (8.725), Elle Heffron (8.675) and Allie Taylor (8.525). Beverung (9.2) was the runner-up on balance beam while Werner (9.175) placed second on floor.
"She (Beverung) was on the money tonight, and she brought her A-game for sure," said Rolling Meadows coach Mike Costa, who said Beverung had her highest all-around score by far. "She came in ready to compete tonight, and that was the best beam routine she's done all season."
Third-place finishers were St. Charles' Alayna Krzystofiak on vault (8.7), Reder (9.15) on beam, and Han on floor (8.975). St. Charles' Amelia Dziedzinskyj placed fourth on floor (8.775) while teammate Raegan Hunt and Beverung tied for fourth on vault (8.65).
Boeke placed fourth on beam (9.05) and fifth on floor (8.575). Szczygiel placed fifth on uneven bars (8.5) while Hunt placed fifth on beam (8.975). Kuhlman and Fremd's Anna Maciejewski tied for sixth on floor (8.55).