NL_020118

42 | February 1, 2018 | The New Lenox Patriot Sports
newlenoxpatriot.com
Girls gymnastics
LW co-op wins conference once again; eyes regional, sectional next
Chris Walker
Freelance Reporter
Lincoln Way co-op’s gymnasts
performed like they
had been there before during
the SouthWest Suburban
Conference meet in Frankfort
on Jan. 23.
That’s probably because
most of them had been when
the team won the conference
meet at Andrew in Tinley
Park last January. It also
had to help that they were in
the same gym that they also
practice in each day.
This time the team showcased
its depth and talented
roster as four different gymnasts
won an event to help
the team cruise to victory
with 144.9 points, easily in
front of runner-up Sandburg/
Stagg co-op’s 126.9.
The 144.9 points were the
second most scored this season
by Lincoln-Way, which
had earned a 145.7 on Dec.
12. Lincoln-Way, which finished
sixth in the state last
season, is one of only seven
teams to score a 145 or higher
through Jan. 24.
“Everybody but freshman
Grace Kmak (Lincoln-Way
Central) was a part of last
year’s team, so this is their
second go around,” Lincoln-
Way coach Kim Lago said.
“But Grace is one of our best
competitors, so she showed
that she’s all right.”
Kmak was more than
all right as she took third
place in the all-around with
a 35.825 while looking up
at teammates Korina Jarosz’s
36.15 and Una Farrell’s
36.325, both of whom
are students at Lincoln-Way
West.
“We’re close to where we
think we can be,” said Farrell,
a senior. “This wasn’t
my strongest performance,
but just coming out of an illness,
it wasn’t so bad.
“We believe it’s possible
Korina Jarosz, from Lincoln-Way West, takes her turn in the
bars event. She finished second in the all-around.
to go to state again as long
as we keep our heads in
the game. It’s easy to get
distracted just coming off
break, and this is a pivotal
time to get everything right
and hit all our routines.”
Farrell missed almost a
week of practice.
“She only recently came
back after being sick, so
she wasn’t able to practice
much,” Lago said. “Everybody
kind of stepped up
in some places, which was
nice. Hopefully they just
keep wanting it.”
Farrell also won bars with
an 8.85 along with her allaround
title. Jarosz won
vault with a 9.25, Allie Reis
(Lincoln-Way East) claimed
the floor exercise with a 9.5
and senior Madi Flondor
(Lincoln-Way West) was
the beam champion with a
9.35.
“I was proud of my whole
performance tonight,” Flondor
said. “I’ve been working
really hard and it kind of
showed. It was the right time
to come together for conference.”
Beam isn’t a favorite
event for most gymnasts, but
it is for Flondor.
“It’s my favorite so I’m
glad that was the event I
won,” she said. “There’s
always a lot of nerves with
it, but you have to control it
and it’s such a good feeling
to hit the routine after you
practice it every day.”
Erica Dice (Lincoln-
Way West) contributed to
the team total with a 9.0 on
vault, and Kmak’s scores on
bars and beam helped the
overall team score.
“As a team, I feel like we
were able to test ourselves
to see how prepared we are
and if we can hold it together
with the big pressure,” Farrell
said. “Conference isn’t a
huge deal in that it’s not as
important as regionals and
sectionals. We know what it
meant and we pushed ourselves
and tried not to succumb
to the nerves.”
The team seems as fully
prepared physically as they
are mentally which puts
them in a great position
heading into the post-season.
“The best thing you do
for yourself is to make sure
you’re in the best mindset,”
Flondor said. “And we’re
not selfish, we’re going all
out for the team.”
Lincoln-Way gymnast Una Farrell, from Lincoln-Way West, placed first in the all-around
competition Jan. 24 at the SWSC meet in Frankfort. Photos by Julie McMann/22nd Century
Media
Erika Waaso, from Lincoln-Way West, performs in the beam event.