Stevenson gymnast Elijah Klaber had a busy summer in 2014.
It just didn’t involve gymnastics. Klaber worked as a counselor at Jay’s Camp in Long Grove.
“I worked with kids, 7-year-olds, to help them play sports,” Klaber said. “It was fun.”
Klaber is not a club gymnast, so he did not participate in any organized team sports in summer, fall or winter. Stevenson’s first official team practice on Feb. 16 was Klaber’s first since the end of the previous season.
“Once you come in, everyone else is really prepared,” Klaber said. “You are behind. The first week was brutal. I was sore. You just have to work harder, stay later.”
The senior did just that. As a member of Stevenson’s state-qualifying team last season, Klaber’s best events were the floor exercise and vault. He wants to add more events this year. Now that his early soreness is gone, Klaber is adding new tricks to his routines in the parallel bars, horizontal bars and still rings. At the Robert Bohl Invitational Friday night at Mundelein, Klaber showed how far he’s come in a short period of time.
Klaber put up top-10 scores in two events, the still rings (fourth place, 8.70) and horizontal bars (eighth, 7.10). He finished 11th in the parallel bars with a 7.95.
“He’s by far our most improved,” Patriots coach Eric Liva said. “He’s jumped light years from last year. Just his frame of mind. He came in, decided ‘I’m not afraid of anything anymore. I can do it.’ And he just took off.”
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“[Klaber] can be off the whole summer and take flight,” senior Arie Feltman-Frank added. “His muscles stay. It’s how he’s built. He’s just a natural with the sport.”
With a surge by Klaber, Stevenson is a state title contender. The Patriots won the Robert Bohl Invitational, posting a score of 147.05. That was well ahead of runner-up Deerfield (141.98), third-place Glenbrook South (141.33) and fourth-place Wheaton-Warrenville South (139.87). The Warriors, Titans and Tigers have deep rosters, and all should contend for team sectional titles.
Feltman-Frank won the all-around with a 52.10 total and the horizontal bars in 8.60. Feltman-Frank, sophomore Matt Krames, Jarrod Blutarski and Klaber give the Patriots four potential state medalists.
“With all the teams that were here, to win means a lot. I’m proud of the boys, they did all the work,” Liva said. “We want to get back scoring in the 150s by the end of the year.”
Stevenson’s high team score of the season is 151, posted against Barrington on March 17.
Having shaken the rust off from his long layoff, Klaber said he is excited for what lies ahead for him and his team.
“This meet is one of the most important meets of the season,” Klaber said after the Robert Bohl Invitational. “It’s pretty close to what the state meet will feel like. Our practices are going to be really fun [the rest of the season].”
Kerr is a freelance reporter from Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @prepspioneer