Mundelein wins NSC meet, but Stevenson earns overall title

Stevenson chalked up the North Suburban Conference girls gymnastics championship breaking a five-year reign held by Mundelein.

The Patriots won all of their dual meets during the season while the Mustangs lost to Stevenson and Lake Zurich.

However, Mundelein landed in the top spot in the NSC conference meet Thursday by a narrow margin over Stevenson, 141.95 to 141.775, and Lake Zurich with one loss in the duals finished third (138.8).

"That was a season goal for us, to win the conference," Stevenson coach Judy Harwood said. "It was exciting this year, because you didn't know if you were going to win. We had close meets with Mundelein and Lake Zurich. It shows the competition and the level of the conference has been higher than it has been.

"I feel the girls felt a little pressure with people looking for them to take the conference. Usually, they are more joyful competitors."

Mundelein made its way past Stevenson on its last event, the balance beam, as the Mustangs were able to get some good routines and stay on the beam.

"It's been a crazy year in the North Suburban Conference," Mundelein coach Jesse Piland said. "It was really close and we were keeping track to the very end. We needed every single girl to do every single routine as well as they possibly could. That's exactly what we got. Every Mundelein gymnast was great and it was a great full meet for us."

The Mustangs' Emma Hallin, who posted the top beam score of 9.1 and was the final gymnast to perform, also was second in the all around (36.55), on floor (9.45), and fifth on bars (8.8).

"I didn't now how important it was, but I knew I had to have a good routine," Hallin said. "There was a lot of pressure doing the last routine. I was just trying to breathe and my teammates were there to help me."

Audrey Kafka was third in the all-around (36). She also placed second on beam (8.9), second on floor (9.4) and had a third-place tie with Lake Zurich's Kelsey Rothas on bars (8.95). Elle Mishler finished third on beam (8.85).

Emily Weinstein of Stevenson had the top score in the all-around (36.575), but she chalked up the top score on the bars (9.25), third on vault (9.4) and third spot on floor (9.3). Sarina Johnson landed second on vault (9.375), while Riley Polatsek finished fifth on beam (8.7).

"It was really close for the all-around," Weinstein said. "It was really exciting. We were all working hard in the gym. I was getting really getting stressed out recently in the gym just thinking and putting the pressure on myself. We just came here forgetting and showing what we can do."

Lake Zurich's Carly Trebac had a disappointment of a landing off the beam, which she basically attempted her dismount by hitting hard on the floor instead of the mat. But she recovered with a strong vault and stuck her Yurchenko Pike for the top score of 9.45. She also placed fourth in the all-around (35.95) and fourth on floor (9.25).

"It was a lot of practice with landings," Trebac said. "I'm a gymnast that always falls but I don't actually fall. So a lot of practice of knowing how not to get hurt and motivation to keep going. I was trying to keep positive and my team was cheering me up after beam. It kept me going the rest of the meet."

The Bears' Joanna Topa placed fifth in the all-around (35.85) and fourth on vault (9.35).

Also, Libertyville's Kylie Skie finished fifth on vault (9.15), while Lake Forest's Kristin Fisch won on the floor (9.45).