McArdle, Glenbard West find inspiration to beat Hinsdale Central

Coley McArdle couldn't help Glenbard West win a state title in 2017 because he missed the season with a wrist injury.

Now a senior, the pommel horse specialist is looking to get to state again as an individual, like he did last spring, and hopefully bring his team along with him.

For now, he's helping the Hilltoppers win early-season meets. They defeated Hinsdale Central, 140.6 to 135.9 in Tuesday's West Suburban Silver dual meet in Glen Ellyn.

"Sophomore year was tough with the wrist injury because I wasn't practicing or even hanging out with the guys," he said. "It was really hard because I thought I would've been able to help that team, but I used that as inspiration last year and I'm using that again this year."

The 2017 horse team was a darn good one with seniors Matthew Ideler, Timmy Le and Michael Formento, junior Shea Rudolph and a pretty good freshman named Alexander Demeris.

Demeris said he wasn't at his best against the Red Devils, but he still won parallel bars, high bar, still rings and floor. The junior's start value on floor is 10 and he didn't disappoint with an eye-popping 9.6 thanks especially to his landings.

"The majority of my deductions come from my landings, so that's what I was focusing on," he said. "We usually practice the front half and back half of the routines going back and forth so there's a lot of repeated landings to help you get more consistent with them."

Demeris and McArdle tied for second on pommel horse while senior teammate Trevor Formento, Michael's younger brother, tied for fourth with a 7.2.

"I used to do the all-around, but I've cut it down to just being a pommel horse specialist and am focusing on making the state finals," Formento said. "Up until halfway through my routine, it was one of best routines, and it's a brand new routine and I fell twice. If I didn't fall I would've been right back up there at an 8.2."

It was Formento's season debut; he just returned from the University of California-Berkeley from a Model United Nations club trip.

"I was competing some new skills, but I like where I'm at right now," he said.

All things considered, the Hilltoppers weren't at their best, but no one got hurt, they picked up the victory and it's still not even the middle of March.

"I think we can get them there at the end," Glenbard West coach Frank Novakowski said. "But it's going to be a longer process this season than it has been in the past few years."

Demeris won the all-around with a 51.30 while Jonathan Yangas and Noah Hanson led the team on vault with a pair of 7.2s. Yangas added a 7.9 on floor and 6.5 on high bar, Abu Syed had an 8.5 on still rings and 8.4 on parallel bars and Aiden Sup contributed a 7.1 on floor for the winners.

Freshman Matthew Cihlar and senior Thomas Monson had big nights for the Red Devils, scoring a 48.2 and 47.1, respectively, in the all-around. Cihlar won the vault and Monson won the pommel horse for first-year coach C.J. Johnson, who is enjoying coaching these kids.

"I'm having a ball with this team," he said. "I'm at such a good place in my life and these kids are so much fun. They are staying with it and working hard. I mean, they're fooling around, but they're working hard and some of them couldn't even spell 'gymnastics' five weeks ago."

Monson is fighting through a severe wrist injury so his high bar and parallel bars routines are particularly watered down. There are points for him to pick up later this spring.

"I'm protecting him right now," Johnson said. "And Matthew, he's helping us tremendously right now and obviously he's a really sharp kid and learning a lot of things."