Jessica Sprong hopes her ticket to the state girls gymnastics meet is delivered through the vault
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The Hinsdale Central sophomore has posted her highest scores of the season on that event and placed second (9.175) Feb. 4 at the Hinsdale Central Regional. She finished behind sophomore teammate Amanda Leon (9.2) as the Red Devils swept all five sectional qualifying spots in the event.
Leon and Sprong led teammates Jessica Elliott (9.125), Lily Jones (9.10) and Kylie Torsberg (9.075) in a 1-5 finish that carried Hinsdale Central (138.575) to the regional championship.
Sprong received an automatic berth for the Hinsdale Central Sectional on Wednesday, Feb. 10 on vault and an at-large bid with an 8.2 on the uneven bars.
Berths will be on the line for the state meet beginning Feb. 19 at Palatine. Other sectionals to determine state qualifiers are Feb. 8 at Schaumburg, Feb. 9 at Mundelein and Feb. 11 at Glenbard West.
The vault became Sprong’s most successful event almost by accident. A year ago, she was performing a front handspring mount, then during the offseason developed a tougher tuck Tsukahara with her Riverside-Brookfield club team.
When she began practicing her tuck Tsuk in the preseason for Hinsdale Central, assistant coach Mark Wanner observed that it looked more like a pike, since she kept her legs straight.
“In high school, I was doing the complete skill and landing it,” Sprong said. “I came in and started getting better and better. Coach Wanner said, ‘Go with the pike.'”
Sprong said her pike Tsuk rates two-tenths of a point higher degree of difficulty than the tuck Tsuk.
Sprong’s season-high on the vault was 9.45 at the West Suburban Silver Meet Jan. 30 in Hinsdale. She scored a 9.4 on vault Jan. 13 during a dual meet with Oak Park-River Forest.
“I really want to get (to state),” Sprong said. “I will focus on it all next week. My teammates told me, ‘You can make state with that vault.’ That thought never crossed my mind (earlier this season).”
Sprong would like to become an all-arounder, but did not compete on the balance beam at the regional. She worked all-around at the York Invitational Jan. 23 and finished 17th. Her score was dragged down by a 7.45 on the beam, which took 42nd.
Hinsdale Central coach Kim Estoque said Sprong’s strong legs help her vault. Sprong competed as a freshman in the Class 3A state girls track and field meet last spring in three events, the 400 meters and 800 and 1,600 relays. She placed eighth in the 800 relay with Maddie Becker, Madeline Sullivan and Katie Sluman, who are expected to return this spring.
“Jessica kept overpowering her tuck Tsuk,” Estoque said. “Going to the pike (has worked). She had too much power and kept falling on the tuck.”
Sprong is part of a rebuilding movement for the Red Devils. Graduate Brigid Cultra was the team’s only state qualifier last season and all seven members of this year’s varsity are either sophomores or freshmen.
While Sprong had immediate success in track, Estoque said Sprong’s first love is gymnastics.
“She’s an honor-roll kid with straight A’s. She’s involved in different things,” Estoque said.
Twitter @geomwilcox
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