Carmel's Oehlerking, Mirski make difference

Carmel is a totally different gymnastics team when it competes at full strength.

For only the second time this season Tuesday night, MaryAnne Oehlerking competed in all four events, and what a difference it made for the Corsairs.

Carmel won the New Trier regional by chalking up 145.325 in Winnetka. New Trier was second with a 141.7, followed by Lake Forest (129.125) and Vernon Hills (109.65).

Oehlerking swung to a first-place finish on bars, earning a 9.6, while her teammate Amber Mirski had top honors in the all around (37.325). Mirski also won floor (9.275).

"What MaryAnn is doing for us in invaluable," Carmel coach Sarah Doyle said. "She's been out most of the season (with injuries) and just came back in the last few weeks for us. Hopefully, our best meets are yet to come.

"There are little mistakes here and there that we can clean up. We're right where we want to be."

Oehlerking took fifth in the all-around (36.05). She had her best set on the bars. She's competing with a torn meniscus and wears a brace on her left knee.

"It was one of my better routines," said Oehlerking, who hyper-extended both knees in practice, a day before the Lake County meet at Libertyville.

"My knees won't be better until I have surgery on both of them after the season. They're starting to feel a little better. I just keep working with our trainer."

Mirski earned second-place finishes on vault (9.275), beam (9.375) and bars (9.2). She tied teammate Lindsay Falk on bars.

Falk placed third in the all-around (36.2) and tied for second on floor (9.375) with New Trier's Monica Wolf. Carmel's Lauren Pytel placed fifth on floor (9.125).

"I actually haven't done a routine like that on floor this year," Mirski said. "It was exciting. I added a couple of little things and it gave me confidence."

Vernon Hills' Fallon Faia went last on vault and earned a winning 9.375 by hitting her pike Tsuk. She also took fifth on beam (8.825).

"I've been working on it all season and working on consistency," Faia said. "I wanted to score my best because vault is one of my best events."

New Trier's Julie Gaynes won beam with a 9.4.

Lake Forest's Carly Neville qualified for next Tuesday's Stevenson sectional by taking fourth on beam (9.) and fifth on bars (8.675).