McKenzie Kehr knew what she had to do on Friday night.
To achieve her goal of earning a medal at the girls gymnastics state meet, the Mundelein senior had to execute a balance beam combination move. If done without pause, her flip-flop back connecting into a back tuck would be worth 0.2, enough to propel her into Saturday night’s finals at Palatine.
Although she’d worked on the move in practices leading up to the state meet, Kehr had never executed it in competition. While going through warmups with her coach, Nancy Toland, Kehr decided to go for it.
“Knowing it was possibly my last meet, I had to put everything on the line,” Kehr said. “[The other gymnasts] were throwing up such high tricks, and I thought, ‘You need to step up to the plate.’ “
Toland added: “To be honest, I think I was more nervous than she was.”
Kehr did the move and was awarded a score of 9.20 on the beam, good for seventh place. It allowed her entry into Saturday’s finals (the top 12 qualified). Kehr did not make the cut in the other four events (vault, uneven parallel bars, floor exercise, all-around).
But the beam put her in a position to win an all-state medal, something she hadn’t accomplished in her three previous state meet appearances.
“With what she did [Friday], staying on the beam, I knew she’d medal,” Toland said. “She’s our most consistent gymnast, and that’s what I expected her to do.”
Kehr delivered. On Saturday night, she executed the trick without hesitation again and stayed on the beam.
Admittedly nervous before the event, Kehr said her anxiety disappeared once she got on the beam.
“The adrenaline kicked in and it gave me the confidence to do it,” Kehr said. “Afterwards it was so gratifying to land it.”
The judges awarded her a score of 9.275 on Saturday. The number put her in fifth place (Rolling Meadows junior Kelly Johnston won with a score of 9.625) and in the medal category (top six).
Kehr’s fearless performance concluded a peerless Mundelein career. She had four consecutive state meet appearances, clinching her only medal with her last routine. And she did so in Toland’s final competition as Mundelein’s coach. Toland is retiring after 15 seasons.
During the meet, Toland was named Illinois Coach of the Year, an award voted on by her peers. Late Saturday night, as Kehr accepted her all-state medal, the scene represented the perfect relationship between coach and athlete.
“[Kehr] is just a different kind of kid. She’s a tough, tough competitor. That’s what I admire her so much for, her fight and her will to make it happen,” Toland said. “Being Coach of the Year put tears in my eyes. Knowing our kids have put so much into the sport and the support the school has given us. I’m proud to have been a part of that.”
Kehr added: “It was a good ending for me and for coach Toland. I’m so happy to give her the experience of going to state one more time and wrap it up for her.”
Jon Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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