St. Charles co-op prevails vs. Ozeki, Glenbard North
Glenbard North sophomore Sarah Ozeki began realizing she could be among the best after qualifying for last season's girls gymnastics state meet on floor exercise.
"Seriously, it boosted my confidence a lot going into my workout after season," Ozeki said. "I really wanted to make more upgrades so I could make state on the other events as well. It's really motivated me."
Now Ozeki is among the best consistently.
On Tuesday she won all-around with a personal-best 36.15 and all four events, although visiting St. Charles co-op prevailed 127.60 to 118.80 in the DuKane Conference dual in Carol Stream.
Ozeki scored 9.35 to win floor exercise with the meet's final routine. She also had 9.1s on vault and uneven parallel bars and 8.8 on balance beam with a rare fall on her aerial.
"It was my first time hitting 36, too. It was a really special night tonight," Ozeki said. "Even with a fall on beam, I was able to make it up on the other events."
St. Charles co-op also had reason to be excited. This was the team's first dual victory and its third-highest score after a season-high 128.80 at the Fremd Invitational Saturday.
Top scores came from senior newcomer Alissa Buono on vault and uneven bars and juniors Ashley Olea on floor and Maddie Kramer on beam.
"We're building. It's happening. And I'm hoping to make that higher at conference (Jan. 25 at Geneva)," St. Charles co-op coach Natalie Przybylski said.
Ozeki also could be scoring higher soon. On vault she's hoping to improve her half-on, 1½-off vault enough to reach state. And she's tough on beam.
Tuesday's result completed an undefeated regular season in all-around for conference duals.
"Tonight was the first time she's fallen at a meet - on anything. It's been a really fun season with her just to see her being consistent and being great," Glenbard North coach Kristin Nordquist said.
"I truly believe (state) is what has pushed her hunger this summer. She worked out four days a week and throughout the off-season in spring and fall. I think just going to state opened her eyes as a freshman as to, 'Oh my gosh. This is what high school gymnastics is all about.' "
At Hersey's Candy Cane Invite Dec. 8, Ozeki won beam with a personal-best 9.3. On Dec. 27, Ozeki earned two top-five medals at the District 87 Invite against many offseason training partners from Palmer's Gymnastics in Bloomingdale.
"All of the Glenbard West and Glenbard East girls were sitting down and cheering for me (on beam)," Ozeki said. "That was really nice and helped me a lot to be really comfortable. They're just basically like my second family over the summer."
Kramer continues taking steps toward reaching her first sectional. Usually her strongest on floor, Kramer was most satisfied Tuesday with beam and her 8.15 on uneven bars, where she's added two giant swings.
"I came a far way from last year. That's my biggest improvement, my second-half giants," Kramer said. "I've been wobbling a lot, but this beam routine I definitely stuck compared to my other ones."
This should have been the Panthers' Senior Night but they have none. Nordquist, however, will be leaving as she delayed her move to Colorado one year to continue coaching at her alma mater.
Also competing for the Panthers were juniors Sydney Olejnik, Lauren Theisen and Trinity Witkus and freshmen Ginny Fuller and Sarah Nelson. Sophomore and 2018 sectional qualifier Katie Wagner has been lost to a stress fracture.
"(This season score-wise) I wasn't expecting great things, but what I will say is my team is the happiest and hardest-working I've ever had in my six years coaching here," Nordquist said.
Kramer was the lone all-arounder for St. Charles co-op, which also used Jenny Nickel, Nicole Forde, Gabby Potempa and Katie Vandeveer. Sophomore Sydney Kamin, the lone sectional returnee along with Nickel, was lost in late November to a broken ankle.
"From that, I think we've pulled together our team a lot," Kramer said. "We were working hard (at Fremd) so that definitely made us improve and gave us more confidence going into the postseason."