Illness knocks Wheaton co-op to eighth place
Injuries, illness and recovery all played a major factor in Friday night's IHSA boys state gymnastics finals.
Hoping to bring home a trophy a season after missing third place by a tenth of a point, Wheaton co-op was dealt a serious blow last Sunday when one of its top all-arounders, Mike Brackmann, had an emergency appendectomy. The team had to make due without Brackmann and settled for an eighth-place finish with a 146.65.
Defending state champion Glenbard North was finally at full strength for the first time this season when it competed in the Wheaton North sectional. Just three weeks ago the Panthers scored only a 66.55 in the DuPage Valley Conference meet. On Friday the Panthers were at their best, scoring a 149.05 to secure sixth place.
And even runner-up Lincoln-Way co-op, which was considered the favorite by many to win the title before standout Ryan Mars went down with a foot injury, had to try to overcome injuries. Without Mars, as well as Jake Gratkowski, who injured himself warming up on parallel bars, Lincoln-Way couldn't hang with Stevenson, which won its first title since 2004.
Wheaton's Darren Fill did his best to get past the fact that his good friend and teammate wouldn't be competing. With Brackmann in attendance, Fill led the charge for Wheaton, scoring a 9.35 on vault, 9.3 on still rings, 9.15 on high bar and 9.1 in the floor exercise.
"Once we found out that (Brackmann) couldn't compete we just came out and tried to do our best," Fill said. "It wasn't so much about the score but the experience of being here. It was more about the opportunity presented to both the older kids and the newer ones."
Mark Ciesielski and Mike Dieterle both contributed 9.1 and 8.55, respectively, in the floor exercise and Charlie Fisher scored an 8.65 on vault for Wheaton. Brackmann's absence provided many opportunities for several Wheaton gymnasts. Danny Heller, Shan Jafri, Zach Neal, Matt Nolan, To To Oo, Gerry Riemer and Bayly Shelley all competed.
The dynamic 1-2 punch of Ryan Kennedy and Jesus Soto was on display for Glenbard North, and it helped the Panthers try to defend their title proudly. Kennedy scored a 9.05 on pommel horse and 9.3 in the floor exercise while Soto had a 9.45 on still rings, 9.2 on vault and 8.85 on pommel horse. Jared Vandenack added an 8.2 on high bar for the Panthers.
"It's been a pretty crazy year so it was great to make it here again," Kennedy said. "It was a good meet, I mean, for all we've been through, so it was a good finish for the team."
Competing in the state finals for the fourth consecutive year, Downers Grove North had its best finish during its run, taking fourth place with a 153.4. Luke Schubert was the top gymnast for the Trojans, scoring a 9.2 in the floor exercise, 9.15 on vault, 9.1 on parallel bars and 8.7 on still rings. Luke Wychocki led the Trojans on high bar with a 9.1 and on pommel horse with an 8.4.
"We had an opportunity today to finish third but had a couple of rough spots," Downers Grove North coach Al Bekkedal said. "I thought the kids had a good meet. It was a positive experience and they have nothing to hang their heads about."
Hinsdale Central finished right at 150 to earn fifth place. It was the Red Devils best finish since taking second in 2006. Ryan O'Donnell took second place on pommel horse with a 9.3, Tyler Leahy earned a 9.35 on vault and 9.2 in the floor exercise and Aaron Laniosz led the team on still rings and parallel bars.