Glenbard West earns return to state meet

Glenbard West is so smooth that it makes gymnastics look easy.

Gymnastics is not easy.

The Hilltoppers, the defending state champions, certainly made it look that way while they made sure that they will have a chance to compete for another state title. They won Monday's Wheaton Warrenville South sectional with 147.9 points to qualify to go to Palatine on Feb. 15-16.

"We work really hard for every skill that we have and make sure that we don't compete it unless we've done it multiple times," Glenbard West senior Taylor Ramirez said. "We make sure when we go in that we know what we're doing and I think we've done well and are earning what we did here."

With seven seniors this is an experienced and tight-knit group and also a selfless one. While Ramirez pointed toward Maddie Diab's winning vault as sparking the team, Diab deflected such attention and explained how significant the strong start on beam was, with Ramirez leading the way.

"We went into this meet really excited because we knew going in that we had a chance to qualify for state," Diab said. "We were just excited and really pumped up from the start on beam. We had really good energy when we all hit our routines. It was just a great way to start our meet."

Diab averaged a 9.5688 while winning the all-around with a 38.275. That's better than the 38.2 (2016) and 38.025 (2018) she scored while being crowned the state all-around champion during her freshman and junior seasons.

She edged DeKalb/Sycamore co-op's Madison Hickey, 9.8 to 9.775 to win vault.

"Maddie was able to get her vault back, which was big," Ramirez said. "That got us hyped up for the rest of the meet."

Diab also won floor, was second on bars and placed fourth on beam. Ramirez was fourth in the all-around, third on floor and vault and won beam.

Senior Maia Lee continues to make a case that there's not a specialist in the state of her caliber. She took second on beam and third on bars.

It's now a waiting game for Glenbard East, which took third place with a 145. DeKalb/Sycamore co-op was the runner-up with a 146 and in solid position to snag an at-large qualifier. The Rams are hoping they can get to state that way as well but will have to await the outcome of the final three sectionals to see if their score is one of the four highest to not win a sectional.

"I'm so proud of our score," Rams sophomore Kali Kartheiser said. "145 is really good for us. We went 20 for 20, which is so good. I'm so proud of my team."

Now, though, they must wait.

"We'll keep practicing and going routine after routine," she said. "We'll keep watching the scores to see if we'll go as a team or not. Either way I'm so proud of my team with how well we competed."

Kartheiser already qualified as an individual by taking fifth in the all-around with a 36.65 and top-five finishes on floor and bars. Sierra Olson punched her ticket by placing fourth on vault and Kelsey Donovan did the same on vault by taking fifth place.

Rebecca Honig added a 36.075 and Kelsey Donovan scored a 36.05 in the all-around for the Rams.

Wheaton co-op was fourth with a 143.1.

Macy Smykal is in good position to qualify as an at-large in the all-around. She narrowly missed out by taking sixth with a 35.325. She's already guaranteed to go to state on floor by taking fourth. Jackie Kerth will join her thanks to a fifth-place effort on bars.

"I felt like they almost had to be perfect with the excellent competition and the precision of routines," Wheaton co-op coach Maureen Kermend said. "It was a tough field, but I have a wonderful group of girls and they represented the area really well."

Lake Park juniors Julia Kurek and Julia Naronowicz not only share first names, but they shared fifth place on beam with a 9.225. The Lancers placed fifth with a 137.35.

"It's pretty cool for them because they're pretty close and they share the Julia bond," Lancers coach Jake Luketin said. "For them to know they're going to state tonight and don't have to wait is nice and they just have to fight over who gets to keep the medal."

While none of them qualified for state, the Fox Valley was well-represented by 13 gymnasts. The future is certainly bright as only a few of the 13 are seniors, including Geneva all-arounder Gracie De Vita, teammate Sophia Hostasa, who performed on beam and St. Charles co-op's Alissa Buono, who tied for 10th on vault with a 9.3, the area's top finish.

Olivia Takesue led Geneva in the all-around while St. Charles co-op's Maddie Kramer, Batavia's Taylor Novotny and U-46 co-op's Allison Bucaro did the same for their respective squads.