Young Barrington team looks good against Palatine
It’s early, but a young Barrington girls gymnastics team is looking strong.
Freshman Abby Hasanov and sophomore Jessica Lee gave host Barrington a powerful 1-2 punch on Tuesday in leading the Fillies to an impressive 141.1-133.4 Mid-Suburban West dual meet victory over Palatine.
Hasanov continued her eye-opening start to the season by taking first in the all-around (36.95), adding a pair of first-place finishes on the vault (9.7) and bars (8.9), tying for first on the beam (9.5) and taking third on the floor (8.85).
Lee wasn’t far behind. She was second in the all-around (36.4), first on the floor (9.15), tied for first on the beam (9.5) and grabbed second on the bars (8.6).
“They’re competing exactly how they are practicing,” said Barrington coach Jason Loeffler of Hasanov and Lee. “They’re putting their sets in and they are hitting their sets.”
Hasanov has made quite an early impact. The Fillies freshman has scored three consecutive 9.7s on the vault, and she showed her all-around skills on Tuesday.
“It’s feels good,” said Hasanov. “We’re pushing hard in practice and it helps in competition.”
Lee showed plenty of skill in her freshman season but an elbow injury slowed her progress. This season the Fillies sophomore is healthy, and it has shown.
“I think we can make it really far as a team,” said Lee. “We all push each other, and it’s driving us to work harder.”
And it doesn’t stop there for a Barrington squad that featured a varsity lineup composed of all freshmen and sophomores.
Sophomore Jada Jones (9.35) and freshman Molly Blanke (9.35) tied for second on the vault, with sophomore Tara Schumann supporting the Fillies’ attack.
“I’m excited,” said Loeffler. “It’s like we’re taking the next step. We’re going forward, not backward.”
Palatine is also a team that will be making some noise at the end of the season. The Pirates are off to a bit of a slow start, but they expect ton improve throughout the year.
Senior Abby Alden pushed the attack on Tuesday, tying for first on the beam with a 9.5, taking third in the all-around (34.85) and also taking third on the bars (8.45).
Alden is helping fill the gaps as Palatine competes without top all-arounder Nicole Kuksuk. The senior is out with a hyperextended elbow and hoping to return by mid-January.
“We can handle it,” said Alden, a state qualifier last season. “We have potential. We just have to focus on hitting, and we’re going to get there.”
Sophomore Claudia Przystal also gave the Pirates a lift with a second-place finish on the floor (9.1) and fourth-place finishes in all-around (34.8) and beam (8.9). Sophomore Andrea Ori contributed with a solid vault (9.05).
“We have talent,” said Palatine coach Terry Theobald. “We just have to get there.”