For the past year, Glenbrook South gymnast Jenna Hartley has walked past the trophy cabinet near the school’s main gym and admired the third-place trophy she helped the Titans win last winter at the state tournament.
“I always see it and I’m like, ‘Whoa, I can’t believe we did that,'” said Hartley, a sophomore who lives in Glenview. “Now, we get to add another one too. It’s crazy.”
The Titans earned the new trophy by repeating their third-place performance at this year’s state meet, which was held Friday and Saturday in Palatine. Glenbrook South (146.600) held off Central Suburban South rival New Trier (146.275) for third place. Glenbard West (150.050) captured the state title, while three-time defending-champion Prairie Ridge (149.100) finished second.
Glenbrook South’s 2017 trophy was the program’s first since it finished third in 1979. Now, it has taken just 12 months to add another major honor.
Titans coach Steve Gale said each of his gymnasts will get some time with the 2018 trophy at school — affording them the chance to carry it through the hallways and to class — before it is placed in the trophy case.
“They get to bask in the glory of their achievement,” Gale said. “Then, we’ll put it safely away in the cabinet, and it will stay there for generations.”
Gale said the key to Glenbrook South’s success at state this year was the Titans hit all 20 of their routines in prelims.
“As tight as the meet was, had we not done that, we would not have been in position to get a trophy,” Gale said.
Two Titans gymnasts reached the finals Saturday. In her first state meet, freshman Sheena Graham finished sixth in the all-around (37.150), seventh on balance beam (9.050) and tied for seventh on vault (9.500).
Hartley, in her second state meet, finished ninth in the all-around (37.050), tied for fifth on vault (9.525) and took seventh on floor exercise (9.475). She earned a medal for her top-five finish on vault.
Hartley said Friday’s team competition meant “way more” to her than Saturday’s individual finals, but the latter event was still special.
“(Individual finals) is a cool experience because only one person is competing at a time and everyone cheers you on,” Hartley said. “It’s more about going out there and just doing the best you can. The results don’t matter as much, but it’s still cool if you do well because Saturday is the best of the best.”
Glenbrook North
Spartans senior Brittany Ullrich tied for 27th (8.950) on the uneven bars and took 28th (35.675) in the all-around at the girls gymnastics state meet Friday in Palatine.
Teammate Katie Dahlke, a freshman, tied for 25th (9.025) on floor.
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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