Libertyville senior gymnast Ima Wasemann commands attention during her floor routine by injecting just the right amount of fun and personal expression into her poised and disciplined movements.
Her first name translates as “now” in Japanese, and that’s fitting given her goal as a gymnast is to make every moment meaningful. That includes the process of preparation.
In the Wildcats’ season-opener against Stevenson on Nov. 30, Wasemann posted an overall score of 30.575 to finish second in the all-around competition to sophomore teammate Kylie Skie (30.675). Wasemann was second in the vault and beam and third in the bars.
Stevenson edged Libertyville 123.10-122.38 in the teams’ North Suburban Conference debut.
“With the first meet, it is not going to be the cleanest meet,” Wasemann said. “We are not going to be showing our greatest skills. But that is what is great about the sport, because you get to see where you start and then you finish at the end of the season.”
Wasemann is the only senior among the Wildcats’ top five gymnasts and is the team captain, a role she takes very seriously. High school gymnastics, as opposed to the elite club circuit, is marked by team camaraderie, support and community, she said. With a freshman, sophomore and two juniors filling out the Libertyville line up, Wasemann embodies a steady perspective.
“She is a very positive person who supports everybody, regardless of what year or level they are,” Libertyville coach Tiffany Owens said. “She stops practice and is willing to work with the younger girls on their routines.”
Wasemann, who started gymnastics at age 7, has never lost her optimism despite a series of serious injuries. Her ability to recover from those setbacks and push forward is a testament to her steely resolve.
“I fractured my femur (in seventh grade), and I ended up being out for a year,” she said. “Just as I started getting back into it, I broke my other leg and I was out for another year. It was such a hard time getting back and learning all of my new skills.”
Two years ago, she landed on her head on a vault and suffered a cervical sprain that required her to wear a neck brace and miss the rest of her sophomore season.
“She has had some pretty serious injuries,” Owens said. “It takes a lot of mental toughness as well as physical strength to recover from that.”
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In the Stevenson meet, Wasemann was graceful and sharp. She’s fought through the pain, injuries and occasional self-doubt to get this far.
“For so many girls after experiencing those kind of injuries, they decide not to continue or do something else,” Wasemann said. “For me it was really important to keep going. I could not imagine myself not doing this sport.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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