Girls gymnastics: Libertyville edges Mundelein in North Suburban Conference meet

How close was Thursday night's North Suburban Conference girls gymnastics meet at Lake Forest?

This close: "Two steps, a fall, maybe a half-step," Warren coach Mary Kovac said of the difference between team gold and team silver.

Libertyville edged runner-up Mundelein 139.5-139.45 for the title, but Libertyville and third-place Warren (139.25) tied for the overall championship because Kovac's Blue Devils finished first during the NSC's regular season.

Got that?

Libertyville senior Anna Becker picked a fine time to perform superbly. The Wildcats essentially needed every tenth of a point of her first-place all-around total (37.5 points). She also topped the fields on vault (9.7) and on the uneven bars (9.6).

Oh, and Becker received a Sportsmanship Award.

Quite a night.

"I was happy with my double (on floor)," Becker said of her first tumbling pass -- the second time she stuck the trick this winter. "Building my endurance helped.

"But tonight was also special because I had fun with my teammates."

Lake Zurich took fourth (139), followed by Stevenson (137.65) and Lake Forest (133.95).

Mundelein's Lexis Ede captured gold on the balance beam, and Warren's Amanda Hamann executed a meet-best 9.4 on floor exercise.

Eide (37.1), Libertyville's Ally Humbert (35.8) and Mundelein's Kate Burchill (35.3) went 3-4-5 in the all-around.

Thursday marked the second straight year in which a pair of squads had to share the overall NSC crown; Stevenson and Lake Zurich emerged as co-champs last winter.

"All the teams here are strong," Libertyville coach Tiffany Owens said after her crew had competed three rotations. "Our girls, I'm proud of them, incredibly proud. We'd been working on visualization (of the routines) and positive self-talks.

"And Anna," she added, "has had the drive the overcome illness and injuries. She's also learned not to be so hard on herself; I've been impressed with how good she is now at keeping mistakes in the past and moving on with positivity."

Warren's Kovac earned NSC Coach of the Year honors.

Other top-five efforts: Amanda Hamann (second place, vault, 9.65); Stevenson's Clara Cavalcanti (tie for third, vault, 9.4); Humbert (tie for third, vault, 9.4); Ede (fifth, vault, 9.35); Amanda Hamann (second, bars, 9.5); Ede (tie for third, bars, 9.15); Stevenson's Emma Fang (tie for third, bars, 9.15); LZ's AJ Burk (fifth, bars, 9.05).

Burchill (second, beam, 9.3); Becker (third, beam, 9.3); Warren's Emilia Montes (fourth, beam, 9.2) l LZ's Mia McHugh (fifth, beam, 9.15); Stevenson' Ashley Schabes (second, floor, 9.35); Warren's Hailey Hamann (third, floor, 9.25); Eide (fourth, floor, 9.2) l and Becker (fifth, floor, 8.95).

"We're still warming up for (the state series)," Stevenson coach Judy Harwood said, looking ahead to Monday night's regional meet at Carmel Catholic. "Our girls are getting better every day.

"They're also trying new things," she added. "They're not afraid to try."

Warren won the NSC JV Meet Thursday night with 94.45 points.