Neuqua Valley's Hartmann 2nd in all-around

There wasn't any doubt with who would win Thursday's Lincoln-Way East boys gymnastics sectional as Lincoln-Way co-op ran away with the title, scoring a 160.550.

For three Naperville schools it was an opportunity to finish the team season on a high note and try to advance as many individuals to next weekend's IHSA state finals, which will be back at Lincoln-Way East.

One of those Naperville schools, Neuqua Valley, doesn't have a team but has a pair of gymnasts. Freshman Andrew Fairbanks experienced the state series for the first time, finishing in a tie for sixth place on high bar and taking seventh place on vault and pommel horse.

While his debut was solid, it was nothing like the evening enjoyed by Wildcats senior Jake Hartmann, who scored a 9.55 on pommel horse and vault to win those two events and tied for first on parallel bars with a 9.25. Hartmann also advanced in the floor exercise and high bar, as well as the all-around, where he finished in second place with a 54.4, right behind Lincoln-Way co-op standout Isaac Kruspe's 54.65.

Hartmann finished 10th in the state in the all-around last May.

"I wanted to increase my scores this year and have worked really hard to come out and try to win," Hartmann said. "I would've liked for a couple events to go better. Coming from club gymnastics and changing skills it's a little confusing, but I thought it went well."

Naperville North didn't expect to win the sectional but was hoping to put itself in position to possibly snag one of three at-large team qualifiers. The Huskies took second place with a 141.9.

"That was kind of garbage on our part," Naperville North coach Brad Foerch said. "Between 147 and 148 is where we should've been. I'm not saying we're a state team, but I just would've liked to have seen us go out a little bit sharper."

Josh Soto and Kurt Hodges both punched their ticket to return to Frankfort next weekend. Both competed in the state finals last spring.

Soto advanced on pommel horse where he took third with an 8.5 and on vault where he squeezed in with a fifth place score of 9.15. Hodges moved on with a fifth place effort on pommel horse with an 8.05 and on parallel bars where he tied sophomore teammate Billy Suta with an 8.75. Suta also placed fifth in the all-around with a 48.45.

"We pretty much got the three (to state) that we could've expected to," Foerch said. "Can't ask for much more than that. The key was getting them through today and now to experience it next weekend and then again next year."

Naperville Central took seventh place with a 98.2. The Redhawks didn't have any gymnasts extend their season. John Mixen scored an 8.1 on floor exercise, Kevin Ostermeier earned an 8.55 on vault and Bobby Alianello finished his senior season with a 4.7 on pommel horse.

"I felt we did a great job," Naperville Central coach Glen Reimers said. "We missed a couple things that I didn't think we would've. We faltered a bit on vault and p-bars, but horse stepped it up tonight. They were kind of normal on rings, but I thought overall they did a great job."

Downers Grove South's Ryan Kujawa tied for second place in the floor exercise with a 9.35. He also advanced on the pommel horse. Teammate Mike Sparapany was the other Mustang to advance, doing so on still rings where he took fourth place with an 8.65.