Downers Grove co-op's Pipilas leaves injury in the past

One of the scary things about gymnastics is when you make a mistake there can terrible consequences.

Downers Grove co-op junior Melina Pipilas certainly knows what that's like after she broke her left arm almost a year ago and needed two surgeries and physical therapy before being cleared to compete again this winter.

Her team has certainly been blessed to have her back in the lineup and she showed why during Saturday's West Suburban Gold meet in Villa Park, winning vault and beam as Downers Grove co-op won convincingly with 141.5 points.

Host Willowbrook was the distant runner-up with 130.925 points.

"Honestly, I think I was most impressed with myself on vault," Pipilas said. "It's the best vault I've done all season, especially since at the beginning of the season it wasn't going so well. But I improved throughout the season so I thought today was a really good finish."

Pipilas has changed her bars routine due to suffering the injury. She acknowledged that it still hurts from time to time but doesn't get in the way of anything she's doing. She also remains quite fearless or she wouldn't be back out there doing her thing.

"The only thing that would scare me would be doing the same skill, which I'm obviously not going to do again," she said. "I don't think I've been scared of doing anything else because of my arm."

Freshman teammate Kathryn Snouffer edged Pipilas, 35.825 to 35.75 for the conference all-around title. Junior Mia Bowers was third with a 35.025.

Snouffer won floor, was second on beam, third on vault and fifth on bars.

"I was very proud of my beam today," she said. "My goal this meet was to get a 9 and I got a 9.1. Every meet so far it seems like it's been hit or miss, especially on beam, but I think this meet I really brought it together."

Pipilas also had a second-place effort on floor while Gabriella Stellato was third on beam and Emily Smetana took fourth on floor for the winners.

Willowbrook continues to enjoy its best season in at least 12 years. The Warriors eclipsed the 130 mark for the third straight time.

"The girls are working super hard and really getting the team concept of being able to push each other," Willowbrook coach Deanna Zuchowski said. "We're just going from there."

Bella Naumovsky won bars with a 9.25, easily distancing herself from the 8.575 that Bowers, the runner-up, posted.

"I was pretty nervous, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through it because last meet it wasn't that good," she said. "I was working really hard at practice this time to get through my routine and stick my double and make my bail, and perfect all my handstands. I was really happy when I stuck my double and it was a pretty great experience."

Naumovsky also was fourth on beam and fifth on floor while fellow sophomore Tess Placek took fourth on vault and was seventh in the all-around.

"We're making so much progress," Placek said. "Hitting the 130 mark has helped our confidence and we didn't just hit it, we've been able to pass it up so now we know we're chasing some of the bigger teams. It's really been a great season."

Addison Trail freshman Maddie Muccianti led the team's four all-arounders by taking sixth place with a 33.175 and also earning third place on bars. The Blazers were situated in third place overall with a 127.175.

"I did better than usual," Muccianti said. "I've been working really hard in the gym the last two weeks because my last meet was really bad. Today I didn't fall on anything."

Junior Ella Linkowski scored an even 34 in the all-around to place fourth for Hinsdale South. She also finished sixth on bars and beam and fifth on floor for the Hornets, who took fifth with a 113.15.