Panthers run away with it

It usually takes a handful of fingers to make a knuckle sandwich.

During Wednesday's IHSA Glenbard North girls gymnastics regional, the host Panthers clenched their fists and put away their opponents with a convincing team victory.

Glenbard North finished comfortably ahead of Glenbard East by a score of 143.950-135.125.

"We hit the first event and that was a positive," Glenbard North coach Edsel Clark said. "We were great on bars and that kept going all the way to vault."

What mattered most was how the Panthers did altogether. The team captured second through fourth place in the all-around with Amber Fox, Meghan Court and Kristin Nordquist.

But the rest of the Panthers made a difference too, with freshman Christini Rini winning bars, Kristin Nordquist finishing fifth on vault and second on beam, Jennifer Dardanes ending up third on beam and fourth on floor and Amy Wolf finishing fifth on bars and third in floor.

"We were so glad to bounce back after the DVC," Wolf said. "That was a tough meet, but we've been able to pull together and make sure to not make the same mistakes today."

The hard work etiquette of the Panthers is playing off now that the state series has begun.

"All teams are sore and working so hard now," Dardanes said. "We motivate ourselves and then head out there and do it. Tonight was good."

Senior Andrea Petruniak led Glenbard East to second place.

Petruniak won beam and floor exercise en route to the all-around title.

"I hit 4 of 4 and that felt unusually good," she said. "I just go out there regardless of it being the end of the high school and try to make it fun."

Neuqua Valley, competing without its standout Catherine Miller, ended up in third place with a 133.375, and Glenbard South closed out its regular season with a 129.800, good for fourth place.

"Kristen (McWilliams) did real well, and we've improved tremendously as a team this season," Raiders coach Donna Murphy said.

Bryn Walsh led Neuqua Valley with a fifth-place finish in the all-around with a 34.950.

"Even with my fall on bars I was still happy," Walsh said. "I didn't think I'd do as good as I did."