Geneva repeats regional title
The Tri-Cities has three girls gymnastics teams that face each during friendly, yet competitive meets during the regular season as part of the Upstate Eight Conference.
For the first time since Downers Grove North in 2003, the three went head-to-head-to-head in the same regional as Batavia and St. Charles co-op made the quick bus trip to the Geneva regional on Thursday night.
Guided by the 1-2 punch of junior all-rounders Ashley Puff and Haley Carroll, as well as huge contributions from its deep roster of specialists, the Vikings won their second regional in school history and second in a row, outdistancing themselves from runner-up St. Charles co-op, 140.750 to 138.3.
Geneva advances to next Wednesday’s Glenbard North regional. St. Charles co-op could very well join the Vikings in Carol Stream. Their 138.3 is the highest at large score in the Glenbard North sectional field. St. Charles will learn its fate after the scores from Friday’s Wheaton Warrenville co-op are posted.
Despite having some miscues on bars and floor, Puff still averaged a 9 on each event en route to winning the all-around title with a 36.
“Overall, things went well,” she said. “We came together as a team even though our bar scores weren’t as high as we would’ve liked, but still decent. We landed all our vaults but had a few mess-ups overall that hopefully we can make up at sectional.”
Carroll took fourth in the all-around with a 34.125 for the Vikings while newcomer Dominique Brognia shined on bars, winning the event with an 8.6 and then placed second on floor with a 9.05. The sophomore, who has a club gymnastics background, was a late addition to the team midway through the season.
“Bars is one of my strongest events but I could’ve gone a bit tighter tonight, but overall it was good,” Brognia said. “It’s all about teamwork here and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of this.”
Brognia wasn’t the only Geneva gymnast asked to contribute a key score on an event or two. Freshman Megan Beitzel had a fantastic 9.15 on vault, Delaney Wood took second on bars with an 8.525 and Claire Scatterday had a crucial and timely 9 on beam as three of her teammates had fallen off the apparatus before her.
“That was outstanding,” Hostman said. “We always talk about having each other’s back when someone makes a mistake. She added one more skill to her routine and really stepped up which was nice to see.”
St. Charles co-op will be perusing the IHSA website for results later Friday night. Still, Kaylee Arnold, Kelly Gorniak and Jesi Ortiz left Geneva knowing they had advanced in multiple events.
Arnold and Gorniak finished 2-3 in the all-around with a 35.1 and 35 respectively. Arnold’s name was littered all over the top of the scoresheets as she advanced in every events. Oritz scored a 9.1 on vault and won floor with a 9.175 while Gorniak also advanced on beam and bars.
“We just knew we had to come together and stay together and go event to event with confidence,” St. Charles coach Amy Lill said. “I think that’s what had been hindering us because we had been competing scared.”
Arnold proved to be absolutely fearless. Battling a nagging ankle injury that has limited her this season, she gritted her teeth through her all-around effort.
“She made it through the pain and was crawling off each event,” Lill said. “But she’s tough. She’s a very tough competitor who has been dying to compete on floor and vault all season.”
Batavia junior Sarah Ganster placed third on vault with a 9.2 and also qualified for sectionals in the all-around, securing fifth place with a 33.7.
“I was actually surprised to make it because I didn’t have that great of a meet and it’s very competitive here,” Ganster said. “I messed up on floor, which is my favorite event, and I fell on beam so I could’ve been around a 35. I guess I’m disappointed in that but also glad I made it.”
Ganster won’t be the only Bulldog traveling to Carol Stream. Freshman Kaylin Clevenger tied for fourth on bars with an 8.425 and was fourth on beam with an 8.725.