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Girls gymnastics: Scouting the Fox Valley

BataviaCoach: Taryn Boyce (13th year)

Top returnees: Hannah Katz (sr., all-around), Jessica Kliest (sr., all-around), Cameron Hindel (sr., all-around), Lillian Baty-Barr (so., all-around)

Outlook: The Bulldogs will need to overcome the loss of Megan McGee and Lauren Stangl but coach Taryn Boyce is excited about the youth of her team along with some of the senior leadership. Seniors Hannah Katz, Jessica Kliest and Cameron Hindel all return. Hindel didn't compete last year in order to focus on soccer. She's all set to play soccer at Illinois Wesleyan next year so with being away for a year, it may take her a bit to acclimate herself to competing in the four events again. "We have a very young team with a lot of new talent," Boyce said. "Its' going to be a great rebuilding year." Freshmen Olivia Barolotta, Rachel Kauchak and Taylor Novotny have shown a lot of promise and Novotny could be a real star. "She's the one to look out for," Boyce said. Unfortunately, Novotny broke one of her toes two days before practice started and will miss at least a month. Boyce is hopeful that the addition of volunteer coach Meggan Hagemann, a Batavia grad (2012) who overcome her own fair share of injuries, will have a positive influence on the team, especially the younger gymnasts.

GenevaCoach: Kim Hostman (17th year)

Top returnees: Claire Ginsberg (sr., all-around), Paige Beitzel (sr., all-around), Kelly Frank (jr., all-around), Holly Friedel (jr., all-around), Lily Chapman (jr., floor, vault, bars), Molly Lambillotte (jr., floor, vault), Grace De Vita (so., all-around)

Outlook: The Vikings were the walking wounded a year ago and it cost them a chance to advance to state for the fourth consecutive time as they had the talent to do so before injuries got in the way. Claire Ginsberg (shoulder), Lily Chapman (concussion), Kelly Frank (knee), Holly Friedel (finger) and Grace DeVita (ankle) all missed substantial time or had their seasons cut short due to injuries. Those five gymnasts could post one of the state's better scores by themselves, and they'll certainly be able to do that, but will also have returnees Paige Beitzel and Molly Lambillotte to help them, along with freshmen Michaela Allen and Bailey Piehera. "We are a strong focused team with a lot of depth," Geneva coach Kim Hostman said. "We're working hard to start out the season with consistency and continue to progress throughout the season." The Vikings were senior-less for the first time in program history last winter but this year is the swan song for Ginsberg, who won the all-around in state as a freshman as well as Beitzel who has been a fixture during the recent run of success they've enjoyed. They were the state runner-up in 2015.

Prairie Ridge co-opCoach: Lee Battaglia (18h year)

Top returnees: Nikki Baars (sr., all-around) Kira Karlblom (so., all-around), Maddie Kim (so., all-around), Alyssa Petko (sr., all-around), Katarina Schaffer (jr., all-around)

Outlook: Two-time defending state champion, Prairie Ridge co-op, will look to join Addison Trail, Carmel, Fremd and Stevenson as the only programs to win three consecutive state championship. In case you're wondering, Fremd holds the record with six straight titles (1994-1999). In order to do it, the team, which features gymnasts from four area schools, is going to need to overcome some major losses as Kendall Rumford, Maddie Solka and Rebecca Ruff have graduated and senior Liz Sysol is focusing on cheerleading and will not compete this winter. "The key question every year is can you get through the two months healthy and ready to go," Prairie Ridge co-op coach Lee Battaglia said. "We've held the title now for two years and it's still a big deal for them. Nikki (Baars) holds down that number one spot and she knows the prestige that this means for Crystal Lake gymnastics." Baars and Alyssa Petko, both students at Cary Grove, are the team's lone seniors and junior Katarina Schaffer (Prairie Ridge) gives them three upperclassmen, but the final six roster spots are all underclassmen. Battaglia said newcomer Clancy Raupp's (Crystal Lake Central) role could be huge. She's coming off an injury. "She's tough and has a lot of talent," Battaglia said. "She's just starting to come back. She's a sleeper. She's a bit of an unknown but has a lot of talent." Sophomores Kira Karlbom and Madelyn Kim, both from Prairie Ridge, were key last year and their roles could be bigger this season.

St. Charles co-opCoach: Amy Wojdelko (9th year)

Top returnees: Mychaela Guy (jr., all-around), Emma Grace Redmond-Mattucci (jr., all-around), Grace Levita (jr., all-around)

Outlook: The co-op lost some of the depth provided by last year's seniors, namely Dani Buoy and Devon Ross, but its top two all-arounders, Grace Levita and Emma Grace Redmond-Mattuci, provide a dynamite 1-2 punch. Coach Amy Wojdelko knows she'll get consistent scoring from those two, but what about the rest of the team's score? "We graduated heavy last year and have only five new girls on our team and a total of 12," she said. "We will be rebuilding hopefully in the next couple of seasons. We have some strong returners. We will be looking to some of our new and returning JV girls to fill in some of the gap." Junior Mychaela Guy's role becomes a bigger one, but newcomers are going to have to fill the void as well. Sophomore Madelyn Specht is expected to work four events, freshman Linzey Courtin will be called upon for vault, beam and floor, while freshman Ashley Olea is a talented all-arounder.

U-46 co-opCoach: Tim Whelan (2nd year)

Top returnees: Madison Cruz (Sr., all-around), Ashley McKee (Sr., all-around), Emma Pawelkiewicz (Sr., all-around), Taegan Vinarsky (Jr., all-around), Nykia Wetterman (Sr., beam)

Outlook: Gymnasts from Bartlett and South Elgin will look to have the biggest impact in creating the most successful team in program history this winter for the U-46 co-op. Senior Ashley McKee (Bartlett), whose 35.15 in the all-around, was the team's top score in last year's regional returns, along with all-arounders in senior Emma Pawelkiewicz (Bartlett) and junior Taegan Vinasky (South Elgin). The team also welcomes back Madison Cruz (South Elgin), who was hurt late last year and will be limited a bit this season and Nykia Wetterman (Bartlett) who tore her ACL last year and will be a beam specialist. "We plan to improve our scores from last year and it is a team goal to reach 140 by the end of the season," U-46 co-op coach Tim Whelan said. "Last year we finished in 38th place in the state based on our sectional seeding score of 133.3 and we would like to improve that to 137. That would put us close to the Top 25 threshold."

  Nikki Baars of Prairie Ridge ci-op competes on the floor exercise during the state gymnastics finals last season. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
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