Prospect gets the job done, wins regional

Prospect took third at the Mid-Suburban League girls gymnastics meet on Friday, and the Knights had no letdown on Monday.

Senior Emily Rossdeutcher and junior Katie Colmone finished fourth and fifth in the all-around, leading Prospect to the Hersey Regional title with 139.175 points in Arlington Heights.

Buffalo Grove (133.200) nipped host Hersey (133.025) for second, with Wheeling (123.325) taking third followed by Maine East (98.375).

The Knights set the tone by scoring 34.475 on the beam and automatically advance to the Lake Park sectional on Feb. 10.

"The biggest thing that probably happened tonight is we hit on the beam," said Prospect coach Julian Basler of the Knights, who went 5-for-5 on the beam without a fall. "We did beam boot camp the past two days and it paid off."

Both Rossdeutcher (35.625) and Colmone (35.050) qualified to the sectionals in the all-around.

"As a team we have become so much stronger over the last couple weeks," said Rossdeutcher, who took second on beam (9.20) and third on both the vault (9.325) and floor (9.375), qualifying in each event. "It's coming together and it shows - we're very confident."

Colmone hit on her first vault to secure the top mark with 9.50, and the junior also qualified by taking third on bars (9.050).

Junior Christina Pekar qualified by taking fifth on the beam (8.6) and freshman Lauren Johnson advance with a fifth-place finish on bars (8.6) to aid the Knights' attack.

Buffalo Grove junior Linda Dunne took the all-around title with 37.275; she finished first on bars (9.375), second on both floor (9.40) and vault (9.375), and third on beam (9.125).

"I finally hit on the floor," said Dunne of her career best. "It went well in warmups and I knew I needed to do it today."

Senior Reiko Akiyoshi also hit on the floor (8.875) in securing fifth place for the Bisons.

Sophomore Katie Dewar sparkled for Hersey, finishing second in the all-around with a 36.55.

"I felt really confident," said Dewar who took first on the beam (9.3), second on the bars (9.125), and fourth on the floor (9.225). "I just want to keep hitting and not let the pressure get to me."

Sophomore Haley Scott advanced for the Huskies with a fifth-place finish on vault (9.125).

Wheeling's Amy Burke nailed her floor routine, taking first with a 9.425. The junior finished fourth on vault (9.25), bars (8.65), and beam (8.65) in securing third place in the all-around (35.975) for the Wildcats.