Glenbard East shows it's for real
Last year Glenbard East found itself in uncharted waters when it won its first regional.
On Thursday the Rams made it two straight regional titles. More significantly, they put up 145.475 points, which should prove to themselves, as well as the rest of the state, that they're a team that isn't just making an appearance at next Monday's Wheaton Warrenville South sectional. The Rams are talented enough to earn a trip to the state meet at Palatine.
"Now we're ready," Rams coach Jessica Bugajsky said. "It was another great meet and we came out and did what we needed to do. We had a couple minor mistakes we can clean up for Monday and we'll hopefully keep going."
Sophomore Kali Kartheiser won the all-around with a 37.15. She was also regional champion on bars, beam and floor.
"It was a good meet and I felt like I got some of my highest scores of the season so far," she said. "I'm proud of how far we've come. I'm glad we've done as good as we've done and I'm excited now for sectionals to see all the competition that we'll hopefully have at state if we go."
The Rams have never gone to state.
Junior Kelsey Donovan, who took second on vault and beam and third on bars and floor, feels that the Rams are peaking at the perfect time. Donovan also took second in the all-around with a 36.575.
"We're really excited because the score at conference (145.5) was our best score, but then we went and did it again tonight," she said. "The consistency is coming and the whole team is peaking at the right time. We're ready to keep going up and up from here and with the positive energy that we all have, that's what we've got to do and it's what we're going to do, and it's awesome."
Speaking of awesome, that's a good word to describe senior Sierra Olson's regional-winning vault.
"I was really excited to win vault today because I've worked really hard to get a layout tsuk this summer," she said. "It's only the second meet competing it and the last time I did it, I landed it but took a couple of steps. Today I nailed it."
Sophomore Rebecca Honig took fourth in the all-around wit a 36 while placing fourth on bars and beam and second on floor. The Rams were especially dominant on floor, earning all five spots on the award stand, which included freshman Erin Donovan's fifth-place 8.85. The younger Donovan also was sixth in the all-around with a 34.1.
None of the gymnasts from Willowbrook or Addison Trail qualified for the Wheaton Warrenville South sectional, although a few remain alive for at-large berths that will be determined after Friday's York regional is completed.
Behind a season-high, 124.1, Willowbrook edged Addison Trail's 123.95 for third place as Oak Park-River Forest was the runner-up with a 139.2.
Willowbrook freshman Tess Placek placed eighth in the all-around with a 32.25. She tied for sixth on vault with a 9.
"I'm kind of disappointed to come five hundredths away from placing, but I still feel pretty good, because I almost got there as a freshman," she said. "I also fell on beam, so I was disappointed with that, but overall it was a really good experience."
Blazers senior Maddie Rumps had a 31.375 in the all-around in her final meet.
"It wasn't the best meet that I've ever had and I was hoping for more because I expect a lot out of myself," she said. "I'm pretty hard on myself so it was kind of hard knowing it was my last meet."
As Rumps is leaving, freshman Delaney Good is just getting started for the Blazers.
Good tied for ninth in the all-around with a 31.9 and was seventh on floor with an 8.7.
"I could've done better on beam and I barely missed (advancing) on floor, so hopefully I'll get an at-large," Good said. "I'm kind of nervous now waiting. I hope I make it, but if not, it's OK. I still have three more years to do it."