Lake Park stands above the rest

The only team Lake Park had to worry about on Thursday night was the Lancers.

Easily the superior team among the four-team Lake Park regional field, the Lancers cruised to victory despite not being near their absolute finest.

"It was an OK meet," Lancers coach Jake Luketin said. "We didn't hit as much as we had in recent meets, but it was a home meet and there was a lot of pressure. The good thing was that the girls who missed recovered well from those misses and that's part of becoming a good ream, responding to those misses and picking up the slack and being successful."

Lake Park scored 145.8 points, easily besting the 134.4 posted by Glenbard North.

The Panthers really struggled on beam and it ultimately cost them a chance of earning an at-large team qualifier. The final qualifying spot went to Oak Park-River Forest, which scored a 135.9 on Monday. Wheaton Warrenville co-op also officially qualified after Thursday's results were posted.

"If we hit beam we could've made it to the sectional," Panthers coach Kristin Nordquist said. "We struggled with it all year and I don't know what it is. We can go 5-for-5 at practice while working on pressure situations all day and then we come to the meet and something in our heads doesn't click on beam."

Senior Allison Wahrman's 35.325 and Delaney Guy's 35.225 were the second- and third-best scores in the all-around, so both gymnasts qualified for the Glenbard West sectional next Thursday. Guy also qualified in all four events while Wahrman did so in three events.

Glenbard North's Erika Meister didn't qualify, but she provided one of the feel-good moments of the regional. A JV call-up in her final year of school, she finished with an 8.25 on floor.

"We knew we weren't going to qualify as a team and she probably wouldn't qualify individually, but she still went out there had the best floor routine I've ever seen her do," Nordquist said. "She was so excited that the entire team started crying when she was done. I was so happy for her."

Lake Park's depth, featuring counting scores from seven gymnasts, along with a pair of victories from freshman Nina Gallichio and senior Izzy Shaw, allowed the Lancers to nearly reach a 146 despite some hiccups.

"As always we try not to think too much about it and just have fun," Shaw said. "We don't want to ever get ahead of ourselves so we made sure we kept our focus and tried to hit all our routines."

You can't get too comfortable, even when you're so heavily favored.

"We knew what we were capable of doing," Shaw said. "Everyone on the team wants to do well and wants to keep improving and if you get too comfortable that's when bad things happen."

There wasn't much of that for the Lancers.

Shaw won all-around with a 37, as well as floor with a 9.375 and vault with a 9.6.

Gallicho won bars with a 9.275 and beam with a 9.575.

"Beam is my favorite, and when I can do that well it makes me feel good about helping the team," she said. "My goal is always to do the best I can so I can help the team."

On the whole eight Lancers qualified for sectionals individually, including freshman Kailey Czuma's 8.625 on bars, which didn't count toward the team total since four of her teammates scored higher than she did.

Senior Jesse-Lee VandenEykel, juniors Marissa DeBenedetto and Daniella Pelagrino and sophomores Kelly Zehnder and Chloe Capuder also advanced in at least one event for the Lancers.

The stage is all set now for Glen Ellyn next Thursday where it should be a three-team race between DeKalb/Sycamore co-op, Lake Park and Glenbard West. It's also the final of the four state sectionals.

"We know where we are in comparison with those two teams, so it'll be nice to be under the same roof," Luketin said. "After Wednesday we'll have a better idea of knowing what our chances are. I think all three schools could end up in the state meet, which I would love to see happen."

Luketin coached for three years at Glenbard West under the tutelage of Carlos Fuentes.

"I'm very close with him so I would love for us to both be at the state meet," Luketin said. "Whether that happens depends on how the day goes. That's how it is in the sport of gymnastics."