Freshman Kara Tyner has been the most consistent gymnast for Buffalo Grove this season.
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So it shouldn’t be a surprise that she was one of just two Bison gymnasts competing in the Lake Park Sectional on Feb. 12.
“A lot of freshmen come in and will fall two or three times on beam, and that wasn’t Kara,” Buffalo Grove coach Stephanie Schrader said. “She makes very few mistakes and hits all her skills. She’s a very gritty, clean gymnast and hits everything textbook perfect.”
Tyner finished 26th in the all-around (31.8) in her most competitive meet of the year. For her, just being at sectionals was icing on the cake.
“It was just an honor being here as a freshman,” Tyner said. “Honestly, I was just coming into this meet to have fun because I knew I wasn’t going to get to state. It was a great experience, and the skills of the gymnasts here are insanely good. This tells me what I need to work on for next season.”
Tyner wasn’t bothered by the bright lights of the sectional meet, and that’s what impressed her teammates the most.
“She just went out there and did her best and she nailed it on every event,” said junior Diandra Duenser, who took 21st in all-around with a score of 33.95. “She’s done that at every meet this season. I don’t think she’s ever had a bad meet and I admire her for that. That’s what I need.”
Tyner came into this season with a pretty good base. But unlike the majority of experienced freshmen gymnasts, she didn’t come from a traditional club program. She plied her trade at the Northbrook YMCA.
“I still competed in all the meets club teams have, but it’s a different environment at YMCA,” Tyner said. “High school has been a lot more intense. At YMCA I practiced four days a week, but I was just really attached with my team at the Y and it has worked out.”
Tyner won’t be able to continue gymnastics at the YMCA because they don’t have a program for high school-aged gymnasts. She’s in the midst of a search for a club team, but she has other things that will keep her busy.
She’s also played club soccer all her life and plans to play for Buffalo Grove in the spring.
“It’s difficult, but I manage to make it work,” said Tyner, who also dives for the school’s team in the fall. “I don’t know if I’ll quit any of them but if I had to quit one, it would be soccer. Diving and gymnastics go hand-in-hand, but I have to see how my high school soccer season goes.”
Schrader doesn’t mind Tyner competing in multiple sports, but she does want to see her focus on gymnastics in the summer because she has so much promise.
“She’s been very consistent hitting 32-plus this season and with the new difficulty we have planned, we’re looking to get much higher than that,” Schrader said. “For her to make all-around at sectionals, with the quality of gymnasts in this meet, it’s pretty exciting. She’s a really hard worker in the gym and we’re excited to see where she comes back next year.”
Rob Valentin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.