Firsts just keep on coming for Ultimate Gymnasts

Posted April 20, 2012 8:05 am

Sonte Turnage of Ultimate Gymnastics in Gurnee performs her floor routine at the recent Illinois Level 7 state meet in St Charles. Sonte won gold on the event and also placed first on vault and in the all-around in the Child A age group.

Submitted by Jane Feely

The Level 6 and Level 7 girls’ teams from Ultimate Gymnastics of Gurnee traveled to St. Charles in March for the Illinois state finals and ultimately claimed 10 state titles and an additional 11 state runners-up.

Success started with the Level 6 team, and the first two state titles came on floor exercise. Lindenhurst’s Kylie Miller won her state gold in the Senior D age group when she scored 9.425. Then, in the Youth B age group, Grace Miller of Libertyville scored 9.55 to claim her state title.

Jessica Pasquesi came away with three state silver medals — on beam, floor and in the all-around — in the Junior C age group. She tied on floor with teammate Kylie Skie, who also placed second on vault.

Other runner-up spots went to Ally Weihs on beam in the Junior A age group and to Leah Medenwaldt on vault in Senior A. Leah also placed third in the all-around. Sylvia Raquel, who has finished strong this season, came away with bronze on vault in the Child C age group.

Then enter the Level 7s, whose season, up until this point, had been littered with first places. In the youngest Child A age group, Sonte Turnage, last year’s Level 6 all-around state champion, did not disappoint.

In her first year at Level 7, the Lindenhurst native came away with gold medals on vault (9.70), floor exercise (9.625) and in the all-around (38.15). She also tied for third place on uneven bars.

In the Senior C age group, Allie O’Connell had a score to settle on vault. Narrowly beaten into second place last year, despite scoring a 9.95 on this event, the Grayslake gymnast came away with the state title this season. She then went on to make it two gold medals by placing first on floor exercise as well.

Vault proved to be Samantha Sansweet’s strong event too. She claimed the top spot on this event in the Senior B age group by scoring 9.70. Another state title came in the Junior B age group when Emily Whitis won floor, scoring 9.75. She also placed third on uneven bars.

In the Junior C age group, Ximena Gomez’s 9.30 performance on balance beam won her state gold. She also tied for second on floor and placed third in the all-around.

Grayslake’s Lizzie Jacobs notched up 9.50 or higher on all four events and came away with a silver medal on beam and placed third in the all-around. Meanwhile, Ella Peter, competing in the Youth A age group, won two silver medals: on vault (9.75) and floor exercise (9.65).

The higher-level optional girls from Gurnee-based Ultimate Gymnastics were not to be outdone. At their state meet, held in Bourbonnais the next weekend, the gold medals kept coming, bringing the club’s total to 15.

Outstanding performance of the weekend certainly went to Grayslake’s Ally Hoyer, competing as a Level 9 in the Junior C age group. Ally posted huge scores to come away with three state titles: on balance beam (9.60), floor exercise (9.625) and in the all-around (37.95).

She also added a third-place finish on vault (9.50) for good measure. Alongside her, in the same age group, Vernon Hills native Sydney Stein claimed a trio of bronze medals on uneven bars, beam and in the all-around.

The other Level 9 state title came in the Senior C age group when Katherine McKeon scored 9.175 on uneven bars. The Lake Forest Junior, who made event finals on bars at this year’s High School State meet, also placed third in the all-around in her age group.

In the Level 9 Senior A age group, Emily Basara won bronze on floor exercise and there were fourth-place finishes for Brittany Moccia (Senior B) on floor exercise and for Anna Brandmeier (Senior C) on bars.

At Level 10, Carmel Catholic’s Lauren Feely chalked up a personal best club score on vault (9.70) to win the state title on this event for a second successive year. Her score on uneven bars (8.975) was also a personal best at this level in club competition.

At Level 8, Warren Junior Kelsey Stoecker placed third on both vault and bars and second in the all-around in the Senior D age group. Her high school teammate, Krystal Kofoed, claimed a silver medal on floor exercise. In the Senior C age group, Glenbrook North’s Carli Betman won silver on vault. She also placed fourth on floor exercise, while Hunter Bode was sixth.

Competing in the tough-scoring Senior B age group, Level 8’s Katie Schroeder posted some big scores, placing fourth on beam (9.30) and sixth in the all-around (36.95). Her teammate, Sarah Becker, placed fifth on floor with a 9.45.

Individual scores for both meets are as follows:

Level 6

Child B: Aaliyah Humphreys (Gurnee): Vault: 8.75; Bars: 8.00; Beam: 8.875; Floor: 8.80; All-around: 34.425.

Child C: Sylvia Raquel (Libertyville): Vault: 9.125 (3rd); Bars: 8.50 (8th); Beam: 8.55; Floor: 9.225 (6th); All-around: 35.40.

Youth B: Grace Miller (Libertyville): Vault: 8.45; Bars: 8.35; Beam: 9.175 (9th); Floor: 9.55 (1st); All-around: 35.525 (6th).

Junior A: Lexi Miller (Lindenhurst): Vault: 8.95; Bars: 7.95; Beam: 9.15 (8th); Floor: 8.85; All-around: 34.90.

Ally Weihs (Lake Villa): Vault: 8.55; Bars: 8.00; Beam: 9.45 (2nd); Floor: 8.85; All-around: 34.85.

Junior C: Jessica Pasquesi (Lake Forest): Vault: 8.85; Bars: 8.475 (5th); Beam: 9.50 (2nd); Floor: 9.375 (2nd); All-around: 36.20 (2nd).

Kylie Skie (Libertyville): Vault: 9.125 (2nd); Bars: 8.00; Beam: 9.025 (8th); Floor: 9.375 (2nd); All-around: 35.525 (7th).

Senior A: Dana Hutter (Gurnee): Vault: 8.80; Bars: 8.50; Beam: 8.475; Floor: 9.275 (7th); All-around: 35.05.

Gaby Inawat (Waukegan): Vault: 8.35; Bars: 8.40; Beam: 8.95; Floor: 7.20; All-around: 32.90.

Leah Medenwaldt (Grayslake): Vault: 9.40 (2nd); Bars: 8.75 (9th); Beam: 9.15 (6th); Floor: 9.25 (9th); All-around: 36.55 (3rd).

Faye Tubman (Gurnee): Vault: 9.10 (7th); Bars: 7.80; Beam: 8.55; Floor: 9.20; All-around: 34.65.

Senior D: Kylie Miller (Lindenhurst): Vault: 9.025 (7th); Bars: 7.95; Beam: 8.55; Floor: 9.425 (1st); All-around: 34.95 (8th).

Senior E: Nora Steinlein (Gurnee): Vault: 8.65; Bars: 8.525; Beam: 8.15; Floor: 8.675; All-around: 34.00.

Senior F: Brenna Geier (Gurnee): Vault: 8.65; Bars: 8.625; Beam: 8.55; Floor: 9.00; All-around: 34.825.

Level 7

Child A: Sonte Turnage (Lindenhurst): Vault: 9.70 (1st); Bars: 9.475 (3rd); Beam: 9.35 (9th); Floor: 9.625 (1st); All-around: 38.15 (1st).

Youth A: Ella Peter (Waukegan): Vault: 9.75 (2nd); Bars: 9.225 (10th); Beam: 8.725; Floor: 9.65 (2nd); All-around: 37.35 (7th).

Youth B: Chapin Grumhaus (Lake Forest): Vault: 9.275; Bars: 8.25; Beam: 8.00; Floor: 9.375 (4th); All-around: 34.90.

Youth C: Lizzie Jacobs (Grayslake): Vault: 9.50 (7th); Bars: 9.525 (5th); Beam: 9.575 (2nd); Floor: 9.525 (4th); All-around: 38.125 (3rd).

Junior B: Emily Whitis (Lindenhurst): Vault: 9.275; Bars: 9.50 (3rd); Beam: 8.95 (10th); Floor: 9.75 (1st); All-around: 37.475 (6th).

Junior C: Julia Betman (Northbrook): Vault: 9.40 (8th); Bars: 9.10 (9th); Beam: 8.95 (8th); Floor: 9.35 (9th); All-around: 36.80 (6th).

Ximena Gomez (Waukegan): Vault: 9.375 (10th); Bars: 9.15 (7th); Beam: 9.30 (1st); Floor: 9.50 (2nd); All-around: 37.325 (3rd).

Samantha Wahlers (Round Lake Beach): Vault: 9.30; Bars: 8.975; Beam: 8.575; Floor: 9.45 (5th); All-around: 36.30 (8th).

Senior B: Samantha Sansweet (Deerfield): Vault: 9.70 (1st); Bars: 8.50; Beam: 8.30; Floor: 8.70; All-around: 35.20.

Senior C: Allison O’Connell (Grayslake): Vault: 9.725 (1st); Bars: 8.70 (9th); Beam: 9.20 (4th); Floor: 9.55 (1st); All-around: 37.175 (4th).

The Level 7 team took third place.

Level 8

Senior B: Sara Becker (Lindenhurst): Vault: 8.05; Bars: 8.95 (8th); Beam: 8.30; Floor: 9.45 (5th); All-around: 34.75.

Katie Schroeder (Grayslake): Vault: 9.025; Bars: 9.30 (5th); Beam: 9.30 (4th); Floor: 9.325 (7th); All-around: 36.95 (6th).

Senior C: Carli Betman (Northbrook): Vault: 9.40 (2nd); Bars: 8.75; Beam: 9.20; Floor: 9.45 (4th); All-around: 36.80 (5th).

Hunter Bode (Lake Villa): Vault: 8.65; Bars: 8.25; Beam: 8.575; Floor: 9.425 (6th); All-around: 34.90.

Senior D: Krystal Kofoed (Gurnee): Vault: 8.525; Bars: 7.25; Beam: 7.90; Floor: 9.40 (2nd); All-around: 33.075.

Kelsey Stoecker (Gurnee): Vault: 9.225 (3rd); Bars: 9.275 (3rd); Beam: 9.175 (6th); Floor: 8.975; All-around: 36.65 (2nd).

The Senior portion of the Level 8 Team placed third in the State.

Level 9

Junior C: Ally Hoyer (Grayslake): Vault: 9.50 (3rd); Bars: 9.225; Beam: 9.60 (1st); Floor: 9.625 (1st); All-around: 37.95 (1st).

Sydney Stein (Vernon Hills): Vault: 9.175 (9th); Bars: 9.475 (3rd); Beam: 9.425 (3rd); Floor: 9.05; All-around: 37.125 (3rd).

Senior A: Emily Basara (Gurnee): Vault: 9.425 (4th); Bars: 9.025 (9th); Beam: 8.70; Floor: 9.325 (3rd); All-around: 36.475 (4th).

Senior B: Brittany Moccia (Lake Forest): Vault: 9.175; Bars: 8.675; Beam: 8.825 (9th); Floor: 9.275 (4th); All-around: 35.95 (9th).

Senior C: Anna Brandmeier (Lake Villa): Vault: 9.00; Bars: 9.15 (4th); Beam: 8.825; Floor: 9.175 (6th); All-around: 36.15 (5th).

Katherine McKeon (Lake Forest): Vault: 9.15; Bars: 9.175 (1st); Beam: 8.80; Floor: 9.15 (8th); All-around: 36.275 (3rd).

The Senior portion of the Level 9 team placed second in State while the Combined team placed fourth.

Level 10

Senior A: Lauren Feely (Gurnee): Vault: 9.70 (1st); Bars: 8.975; Beam: 7.90; Floor: 9.075; All-around: 35.65.

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Lauren Feely, who competes as a Level 10 for Ultimate Gymnastics of Gurnee, notched up a personal best club score on vault (9.70) to successfully defend her title at the recent Illinois State meet. Lauren, who also competes for Carmel Catholic High School, is pictured with her vault coach, Ultimates Steve Kams

Allie OConnell from Grayslake with her coaches from Ultimate Gymnastics, Shane Sanders, left, and Steve Kams. Allie, who competes at Level 7 for the Gurnee-based gym, recently won two state championships, one on floor exercise and the other on vault.

Emily Basara, who competes as a Level 9 at Ultimate Gymnastics of Gurnee, performs her beam routine at the recent BIG Dreams Classic meet. Emily, who last year qualified for the Level 9 Eastern National championships, is returning to form after an injury just prior to the start of the competitive season and won a bronze medal at the recent state meet in Bourbonnais.

Celebrating success at the Illinois State championships are a trio of Level 9s from Ultimate Gymnastics of Gurnee. Ally Hoyer, left, won three State titles at the meet on beam, floor and in the all-around. Sydney Stein, center, placed third on bars, beam and in the all-around in the Junior C age group. Teammate Emily Basara, right, also won bronze on floor in the Senior A age group.

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