Boys gymnastics preview
What: 58th annual state meet
Where: Lincoln-Way East High School, Frankfort
When: Elite Eight team competition at 6 p.m. today. On Saturday, individual all-around competition begins at 11:30 a.m. and the individual finals are 6:30 p.m.
Automatic team qualifiers (with qualifying scores): Lincoln-Way East (159.70), Glenbard North (158.85), Wheaton North (157.80). York (156.65), Palatine (152.50); At-large qualifiers: Downers Grove North (156.50), Hinsdale Central (147.90), Conant (145.75).
Palatine team outlook: Palatine gymnasts didn't feel their 152.5 sectional score was indicative of their potential. The Pirates hit a 156.06 to win their fourth straight Mid-Suburban League title a week when senior Andre Gatorano took the all-around (52.55), floor (9.35) and horizontal bars (8.80) titles. Teammate Luke Schuster is the MSL still rings champ (8.55). Gatorano also won the sectional all-around with a 52.50. Coach Scott Hagel's club is making its third straight appearance (only ones in school history) in the state finals. Hagel guided the Pirates to the state crown in 2007 and third place last year.
Conant team outlook: Conant, under first-year coach Randy Smith, is making its 16th appearance in the state finals and first since 1999. In his junior year at Addison Trail, Smith was a state qualifier on horizontal bar. He is in his third year teaching in the Conant physical education department. The Cougars were state champions in 1987 and 1988, runners-up in 1985 and 1986 and third in 1992. Conant is led by sophomore Steve Rink, junior Anthony Crivolio and senior Clinton Martin - who were third, fourth and ninth, respectively in the MSL all-around competition The Cougars were third in the MSL meet with a score of 143.65.
Other qualifying MSL champions: Rolling Meadows junior John Scallon (pommel horse), Fremd senior Dante Digangi (vault) and Fremd junior Brandon Trostrud (parallel bars), in addition to Palatine's Andre Gatorano and Luke Schuster.
Final meet: Elk Grove's Bill Watts will be coaching at his final state meet. The 30-year veteran is retiring from teaching and coaching. Watts was a two-year varsity performer on high bar and parallel bars for Elk Grove, where he graduated from in 1972. Watts earned a gymnastics scholarship to Indiana University, where he also competed in the same two events as high school. He began teaching at Elk Grove 33 years ago in the physical education department. Watt's Grenadiers placed seventh in the 2002 state meet and sixth in 2003. They qualified for the state meet five times, the first in 1976. His 2003 team won the MSL title.
Past local team champions: Arlington High School (1955, 1959, 1960 under coach Gay Hughes; 1968, 1969 under Tom Walthouse); Hersey (1974 under Don Von Ebers, 1984 under Bob Esposito); Conant (1987, 1988 under Ed Raymond); Mundelein (1989, 1990, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2000, under Doug Foerch); Stevenson (2002, 2003, 2004 under Dexter Victoria); Palatine (2007 under Scott Hagel).
Local all-around qualifiers: Gatorano (52.50); Libertyville sophomore Craig Breckenridge (50.15), Stevenson sophomore Mike Wilner (49.80), Prospect senior Joe Napoleon (49.50), Conant's Crivolio (49.35) and sophomore Steve Rink (49.35);
Local floor exercise qualifiers: Fremd's Digangi (9.50), Barrington junior Kellen O'Connell (9.40), Conant senior Clinton Martin (9.40), Elk Grove senior Mike Jachura (9.2), Prospect senior Joe Napoleon (9.15), Fremd junior Dave Allison (9.10), Stevenson senior Bryan Epstein (9.0), Prospect senior Sean Grasse (9.10), Elk Grove senior Kamil Nytko (9.05), Fremd freshman Bobby Wongkamalasai (8.90), Palatine's Schuster (8.90) and Gatorano (8.80), Stevenson sophomore Mike Wilner (8.80), Stevenson sophomore Scot Siegel (8.75), Libertyville's Breckenridge (8.75), Prospect senior Jim Fritz (8.75), Schaumburg senior Stephen Long (8.75)
Local pommel horse qualifiers: Rolling Meadows junior John Scallon (8.95), Palatine senior Dan Murphy (8.55), Palatine senior David Irsay (8.15) and Gatorano (8.1), Rink (8.00), Schuster (7.85), Breckenridge (7.85), Napoleon (7.75), Crivolio (7.65), Palatine senior Mike Kowalenko (7.50), Wilner (7.50), Elk Grove senior Darryl Tan (7.35), Prospect junior Jim Brault (7.35)
Local still rings qualifiers: Wilner (9.25), Beckenridge (8.60), Gatorano (8.45), Stevenson senior Bryan Pusateri (8.30), Herff (8.15); Palatine senior Jason Rutzky (8.25), Crivolio (8.00), Palatine senior Bobby Sellergren (7.85), Schuster (7.85), Barrington junior Tom Olendese (7.85), Digangi (7.70), Libertyville senior Ashton Coulson (7.70), Leyden junior Allen Paczynski (7.65), Jachura (7.65), Rink (7.55)
Local vault qualifiers: Digangi (9.35), Martin (9.30), Palatine senior Eric Floberg (9.25), Gatorano (9.25), Palatine senior Pat Hamman (9.15), Mundelein sophomore Scott Marthinsen (9.15), Napoleon (9.10), At-large: Buffalo Grove sophomore Erik Balko (9.10), Fremd junior Dave Allison (9.05), Palatine senior Kyle Hacker (9.05), Pusateri (9.05), Hersey junior Drew Schultz (8.95), Libertyville senior Zach Chapman (8.95), Coulson (8.95), Crivolio (8.95), Stevenson sophomore Scott Siegel (8.90), Elk Grove senior Kamil Nytko (8.90), Prospect senior Sean Grasse (8.90), Conant senior David Kaminski (8.85), Jachura (8.80), Conant sophomore Vince Gottardo (8.80), Prospect senior Simon Taylor (8.80).
Local parallel bars qualifiers: Fremd junior Brandon Trostrud (8.90), Rolling Meadows sophomore Marc Herff (8.80), Schuster (8.70), Crivolio (8.55), Gatorano (8.40), Barrington senior Roelle Eugenio (8.4); At-large: Breckenridge (8.35), Elk Grove sophomore Damian Zukowski (8.25), Prospect junior Jim Brault (8.2), Nytko (8.15), Buffalo Grove sophomore Eugene Blackmon (8.10), Palatine senior Kyle Hacker (8.05), Rink (8.05), Hoffman Estates senior Brian Mandero (8.05)
Local horizontal bar qualifiers: Gatorano (9.5), Napoleon (9.00), Conant senior Clinton Martin (8.55, Barrington senior Jason Paz (8.25), Stevenson sophomore Mike Wilner (8.15), Breckenridge (7.95), Fremd junior Brandon Trostrud (7.75), At-large: Crivolio (8.25), Brault (8.25), Rink (8.15), Elk Grove sophomore Damian Zukowski (7.90), Marthinsen (7.65), Prospect senior Simon Taylor (7.50), Leyden senior Jesse Coakley (7.45), Palatine sophomore Damian Przystal (7.45), Stevenson junior Dakota Heuer (7.45)
- Compiled by John Leusch