Feb. 17-18, 2012
Lake Forest gymnasts enjoy another successful state meet.
Kylie Carlson sat in the bleachers after the event finals at the state girls gymnastics meet at Palatine High School Feb. 18.
The Lake Forest junior had just received her second medal of the night, a bronze for her 9.6 floor routine.
Earlier, after a 9.45 on bars, she bowed for a fifth-place medal.
She was asked to sum up her weekend.
She started by discussing her … team.
Scouts before Carlson.
Typical Carlson.
“We were all so happy to make it here as a team,” said Carlson, state runner-up on floor the past two seasons. “That was our goal, all season long.”
LF ended its season at state for the third year in a row. Coach Robin Straus’ club took fifth (144.5 points), a year after finishing runner-up and two years after placing eighth.
“Kylie’s tumbling (in the prelims on Feb. 17) was so strong,” Straus said. “Everything else about it was outstanding, as well. Her smile, her personality, the way she sold it … everything. She performed with such feeling, and then she came back (in the finals) and threw another beautiful routine.
“I’m so proud of her, so proud of the whole team.” "We accomplished our goal this weekend to finish in the top 5"
LF junior Kat McKeon, in her second straight state finals appearance, finished eighth on bars (9.4).
“Kat,” Straus said, “nailed that routine, absolutely nailed it.” She was the first competitor on bars in finals. She threw her best routine of the season. Her score did not reflect her 9.55 average. Hopefully she will get that medal next year at state.
In the prelim session Feb. 17, LF began on bars. Up first for the Scouts was Laura Blake, a freshman.
The charged atmosphere had the potential to rattle her.
But she handled the pressure admirably, like a seasoned competitor would have, and executed a clean 7.55.
Blake’s post-dismount smile blinded more than a few folks.
Carlson advanced to the event finals (top 10) on bars with a 9.45 (fifth place), and McKeon joined her after swinging to a 9.4 (eighth).
Beam was event No. 2 for LF, and that’s where junior Carly Schmidt, a first-year prep gymnast, thrilled Straus.
Schmidt, for the state meet, added a tuck back to her routine.
“So proud … I was so proud when she tried that,” Straus said after Schmidt’s 7.8. “She almost made it. For her to put that in, at this stage of the season … I was so glad she did that in a big setting.”
McKeon earned a team-best 9.025 on beam.
Carlson then qualified for floor finals with a 9.675, second behind Carmel senior Kristin Mirski’s 9.725.
Scouts sophomore Brittany Moccia tied for 12th place on floor (9.45) and matched that mark on vault (20th place).
And she did both with a sore left knee. Moccia had suffered the injury during the warm-up session on vault.
“Landed on it kind of funny,” she recalled.
Added Straus, seriously: “Brittany’s a fighter.”
Carlson tied for 11th place on vault (9.625), missing a finals berth in the event by a scant 0.025. McKeon placed 23rd (9.425), and Schmidt contributed a 9.175.
KC & AT: Carlson and Vernon Hills junior Alli Tran tied for seventh place in the all-around (37.475s) at state.
McKeon finished by hitting all 4 events and placing 13th (37.075), while Moccia placed 25th (35.6).
Moving up: LF had qualified for state as the final at-large team, their score was ranked seventh among the eight state qualifiers.
The Scouts (144.5) ended up fifth, behind fourth-place Fremd (146.65) and just ahead of sixth-place Lyons Township (144.475).
No surprise: Carmel, dominant all winter, captured its third straight state championship and fifth overall with a 151.175-point effort. The Corsairs reached 150 points or better in seven meets in the 2011-12 season.
Stevenson (149.175) and Prairie Ridge co-op (148.175) went 2-3.
