Six area girls earned spots in the IHSA state gymnastics meet with strong performances at Monday night’s Mundelein Sectional.
Warren senior Emily Basara, Warren freshman Teagon Albert, Carmel sophomore Samantha Lococo, Mundelein senior McKenzie Kehr, Stevenson senior Elizabeth Shank, and Stevenson junior Mikaela Webb were the competitors who finished in the top five in an event to assure advancement to state.
In addition, at the end of the week, when all four sectional meets have been completed, the girls with the 12-highest scores in each of the five events (bar, beam, floor, vault and all-around) also will get to compete at state on Feb. 20-21 at Palatine High.
So, it’s very possible that more than these six will be performing at state.
That probably is not going to be the case in the team competition. The winners of the four sectionals this week advance to the state team event at Palatine. Also advancing are the four best sectional scores posted by schools that did not win a sectional.
At Mundelein, Glenbrook South won and advanced with a 142.625 total. Second-place Mundelein and third-place Carmel both scored 141-plus, but based on regional team scores, 141 may or may not be good enough to advance to state.
More Top Picks Mirror
At the regional level, seven schools — Prairie Ridge (149), Barrington (146), DeKalb (145), Geneva (146), Lyons (145), Palatine Fremd (144), and Prospect (142) — all were 142 or better. Three of those seven will win sectionals, which means Mundelein and Carmel will be matching their scores against the four non-sectional winners to determine advancement to state.
On the individual front at Mundelein, the meet’s top performer was Warren senior Emily Basara. She won the all-around (9.3675 average), won vault (9.425) and tied for first on floor (9.45).
This will be Basara’s first trip to state other than as a spectator. A Level 10 gymnast who competes for Ultimate Gymnastics out of Gurnee, she was a club gymnast year-round until joining the high school team for this season.
In gymnastics, a girls cannot practice and compete for her club team during the high school season. The same holds true in every sport.
Going to state with Basara will be freshman teammate Teagon Albert, who qualified on floor.
Mundelein senior McKenzie Kehr and Carmel sophomore Samantha Lococo each qualified for state in three individual events, plus the all-around.
Stevenson senior Elizabeth Shank also qualified for state in the all-around, and she’ll be joined in Palatine by teammate Mikaela Webb, who advanced on bars.
AREA AUTOMATIC STATE QUALIFIERS
Emily Basara (Warren) — All-around (1st, 37.475); Floor exercise (tie for 1st, 9.45); Balance beam (3rd, 9.125); Vault (1st, 9.425).
McKenzie Kehr (Mundelein) — All-around (2nd, 37.325); Uneven bars (1st, 9.425); Vault (2nd, 9.55); Balance beam (5th, 8.925).
Samantha Lococo (Carmel) — All-around (3rd, 37.0); Floor exercise (tie for 1st, 9.45); Uneven bars (2nd, 9.35); Vault (3rd, 9.5).
Elizabeth Shank (Stevenson) — All-around (5th, 36.624); Uneven bars (3rd, 9.35).
Mikaela Webb (Stevenson) — Uneven bars (4th, 9.225).
Teagon Albert (Warren) — Floor exercise (5th, 9.45).
SECTIONAL TEAM SCORES
1) Glenbrook South 142.625; 2) Mundelein 141.325; 3) Carmel 141.125; 4T) Warren & New Trier 139.25; 6) Glenbrook North 139.075.