Rock Island Argus
February 4, 2004 By Steve Tappa, Staff sports writer
-- Time & place: Beginning tonight, there are a trio of high school girls'
gymnastics regionals in Chicagoland which hold local interest -- at Glenbard North
(starting at 6:30 tonight), Mundelein (6:30 p.m. Friday) and Mundelein Carmel (1 p.m.
Saturday). There are 16 regional sites statewide.
-- Local interest:
Moline's team competes tonight at Glenbard North. Individuals from Rock Island and Alleman
are entered in Friday's event at Mundelein. Geneseo's team is in Saturday's regional at
Mundelein Carmel.
-- Advancing: Regional
team champs and the top five individual placewinners in each event (including the
all-around competition) automatically qualify for next week's round of sectionals. In
addition, also advancing are the two highest-scoring teams and each event's 12
best-scoring individuals not already qualified sectional-wide.
-- Next: The
qualifiers from Glenbard North advance to the Feb. 9 Oswego Sectional. Both Mundelein
regionals feed into the Feb. 11 Lincolnshire Stevenson Sectional.
-- At
Glenbard North: Moline coach Bob McDonald knows
his young and building team will have a hard time getting past the state's sixth-rated
squad, hosting Glenbard North, plus fellow state power Glenbard South.
``North's average (team) score is 144, South averages 138 and our best team score this
year is 128,'' McDonald said. ``So, we're looking at a tough road.''
Moline's best chance to advance is sophomore Brianne Jenkins in the vault.
``The vault she does is worth a 9.4 (score) if she does it perfectly,'' said McDonald,
looking forward to having a solid starting five next season. ``Brianne's best is a
9.1-9.2, and that's what she'll need to do to have a chance to move on. The vault is a
high-scoring event.''
-- At Mundelein: The
Rocky and Alleman contingent of shared coach Brooke Jackson is hurting at the wrong time
of the season. A sectional qualifier last season, Rocky's Megan Ruthhart still is
recovering from an emergency appendectomy at New Year's. Ruthhart was cleared to compete
last week -- 2 1/2 weeks early. ``She's still struggling, though,'' Jackson said. ``It'll
be a meet-time decision if she even competes.''
Rocky teammate Shelly Muskeyvalley is just six weeks removed from tearing the ligaments
in her back during a practice fall. Alleman's Audrey Just is waiting on surgery to repair
a dislocated elbow that never healed right, and 2003 sectional qualifier Besty Mack is
battling on-going back problems.
Rocky's Breezy Lonergan is the only healthy member of the troupe, with Alleman's
Brianne Marriott competing despite juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
``We're optimistic, though,'' Jackson said. ``Maybe it will all finally come together
for us. Maybe we'll have a good day and the other competitors will have bad days. You
never know.''
-- At Mundelein Carmel:
Calling this a developmental season, Geneseo coach Chris Ward just wants her team to
perform its best while getting important experience for the future.
Not that Geneseo doesn't have threats to qualify for the sectional. Sophomore Lexie
Neulieb owns the best chance, capable of scoring in the 9s in the floor exercise. Ward
also has high hopes on the floor for freshman Cayla Balsar and junior Melissa Brummett.
Junior Leah Wake would rank among Geneseo's top hopefuls, too. However, Ward said Wake
will be forced to miss the regionals because of a prior commitment to the Geneseo Pom Pom
squad.
``She's really bummed about it,'' said Ward, whose young, 15-girl team boasts just two
seniors. ``But, our kids usually mix gymnastics with poms or cheerleaders, so we're used
to it.'' |
