Schaumburg's Rothmeyer second in sectional all-around
Youth was served Thursday at the girls gymnastics sectional at Conant in Hoffman Estates.
Freshmen Sydney Hallsten of Cary-Grove and Schaumburg's Alexis Rothmeyer were the top two finishers in the all-around.
Hallsten, who is a member of the Prairie Ridge co-op team, scored a career-best 37.575 to win the all-around title.
“My beam was the difference for me today, said Hallsten, who was the sectional champion on the event with a 9.65. “I don't usually stick that. I was motivated by the pressure to do well and I was able to come through.”
Hallsten was also second on the vault (9.65), fifth on the bars (9.25) and 10th on the floor (9.025).
Rothmeyer finished second in the all-around, also with a career-best 37.05.
“I just tried to take it one event at a time,” said Rothmeyer, who was second on the beam (9.40), third on the bars (9.40), sixth on the floor (9.075) and scored a 9.175 on the vault.
“I feel really good about my performance. I was a little nervous, but I tried to breath and calm down.”
Maine South ‘s Caleigh Pistorius was third in the all-around with a 36.95 and her teammate Collette Roth was fourth with a 36.85. Barrington's Lauren Tenbrunsel was fifth with a 36.675.
I am really happy with my performance,” said Tenbrunsel, who automatically qualified for state on the floor where she was third with a 9.20 and the beam where she was fifth with a 9.30.
“I went into it very calm, because I got all the stress out in the days leading up to the meet.”
Maine South will be the only Conant sectional team advancing to state. The Hawks won the sectional with a 145.375.
The Hawks will join sectional winners Glenbard West, Lincoln-Way East and Carmel along with at-large teams DeKalb, Glenbard East, New Trier and Glenbrook South at the state finals at Palatine next Friday and Saturday. Glenbrook South was the final at large team with a score of 144.65.
Prairie Ridge finished second in the meet with a 144.35. The Wolves, who were second in the state last year and won the state title the previous three years, missed the at-large cutoff.
Fremd was third with a 141.675. The Vikings bounced back nicely after a disappointing performance at regionals last week.
“Regionals were a major upset for us,” Fremd coach Kacey Kronforst said. “We went back to the gym and worked hard. We picked ourselves up by our bootstraps and carried on. We just wanted to show everyone what we could do.”
Gianna Christoduolopoulos led the Vikings with her seventh-place finish in the all-around with a 36.475. She also automatically qualified on the vault and bars. She along with teammates Annika Waller and Sam Shriner also had top 10 finishes and will await the announcement of the final cutoff scores for individuals.
Barrington was fourth with 140.875.
“We had a great meet,” Barrington coach Jason Loeffler said. “The leaps and bounds that we had from the beginning of the season were great. We fought well tonight.”
Lake Zurich, which won its first regional title in school history last week, finished fifth in the sectional with a 139.00. But that did not disappoint coach Chelsie Groteleuschen, who had Carly Trebac automatically qualify on the vault (9.45) and beam (9.30).
“This was the first time our girls felt this level of competition,” Groteleuschen said. “We had some high points in the meet and there were times that the pressure made us a little bit nervous.”
Host Conant was sixth with a 137.40. The Cougars qualified Daniel Smith on the floor (9.10).
Rolling Meadows' Nicole Kane tied Roth for the top score on the bars with a 9.55.
“In practice I have been working on my handstands,” Kane said. “I am pretty consistent, but I am just trying to make everything as perfect as I could. So I got rid of all the deductions.”
Hoffman Estates will send Elyssa Wuerffel to the finals in the vault (9.375 and the beam (9.35).
Wuerffel tied for fifth on the floor along with Maine West's Megan Schore and Rothmeyer. Prospect's Olivia Tader (bars) was sixth and could be added as at-large competitors.