Naperville North now has to play the waiting game.
The Huskies finished second in Wednesday’s Wheaton Warrenville South Sectional with 141.8 points.
Wheaton co-op won with a 153.15 point total to advance to the state finals. There are four other sectionals remaining this week. The winners will all advance to state while the three highest scoring teams not to win sectionals will all advance.
“I think we’re probably on the bubble and with my luck 142 will probably make it,” Huskies coach Brad Foerch said. “We counted five falls so we left some points out there.”
Three gymnasts have already punched their tickets to the state finals as individuals for Naperville North. Brandon Louise led the way as he took fifth in the all-around with a 47.5.
“I hit four out of six routines,” Louise said. “I was displeased with pommel horse and vault but I hit everything else so I scored well in the all-around.”
Yudai Okabe was fourth on still rings with an 8.4 while Miko Matz placed fifth on high bar with a 7.8.
“I watered down my routine to help make sure I could get to state,” Matz said. “I just focused on my form.”
Naperville Central was hoping to put itself in position for its first state appearance since 1994 but landed in fourth place with 138.05 points.
“We were so close but just fell short of 140,” Redhawks coach Glen Reimers said. “We finished strong though, and honestly, for state judges this is our highest score all year. I think the last time we were here we maybe went 135 so to go three points higher, that’s great.”
Ryan Durkin won still rings for the Redhawks with a 9.1 and was also second on pommel horse with an 8.7 and third on high bar with an 8.1.
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“It was one of my best rings routines all season,” he said. “I was proud that I was able to do that. The rest of the meet didn’t go as planned, but that was a good event.”
Senior teammate Karl Jungquist, who is new to the team this season after relocating from Michigan, advanced on floor by taking fifth place with an 8.7.
“He came up to me and asked how do you know if someone goes to state,” Reimers said. “I told him, ‘You placed so you’re going,’ and he was excited to hear that.”
Neuqua Valley senior Wes Diveney competed in the state series for the first time and won vault with a 9.35. He also placed on still rings with an 8.7 and pommel horse with an 8.05. He took fourth in the all-around with a 49.6.
“Being senior year, I wanted to represent my school just once before I graduated,” he said. “It went pretty well. I fell on two events, but I got back up and hit pommel horse and rings to finish.”
Walker is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.