The 2016 IHSA Girls Gymnastics State Finals will be contested on February 19-20 at Palatine High School.
Friday’s action will determine an individual All-Around champion and factor into the team scoring. On Saturday, individual state champions will be crowned in the Vault, Uneven Parallel Bars, Balance Beam and Floor Exercise. Friday’s prelims will determine the Top 10 competitors in each event that move on to Saturday’s finals. Team points are accumulated on Friday, but competitors can add to their team total on Saturday with a higher scoring routine.
Prairie Ridge Coop (a coop between Prairie Ridge, Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake Central & Crystal Lake South) stepped to the forefront of IHSA Girls Gymnastics a year ago, as the Wolves ended Lyons bid for a third consecutive state championship by winning its first state title after placing second in both 2013 and 2014. 2015 state All-Around champ Rachael Underwood has graduated, but sophomore Maddie Solka is emerging as the team’s next star. Solka tied for a share of the state title in the Uneven Parallel Bars a year ago and was the All-Around champ at the Schaumburg Sectional last week.
Geneva, the 2015 runner-up, won’t have any competitors this weekend, while last year’s third-place finisher Fremd tries to reload behind the experience of senior Lisa Radochonski.
After placing fourth the past two seasons, Barrington could be poised to bring home its first trophy since winning its lone state championship in 2000. Senior Abby Hasanov, a co-state champ on the Uneven Parallel Bars in 2014, returns for the Fillies to defend her Floor Exercise state title from a year ago.
DeKalb recorded its first Top 10 state final finish in program history a year ago when the Barbs placed seventh on the strength of a Vault state title from Aleah Leman. Leman, now a junior, was an All-Around Sectional champ this season, and teams with freshman Madison Hickey (Floor Exercise Sectional champion) to try and push DeKalb to its first trophy.
Lake Park is led by senior Isabella Shaw, an All-Around Regional champion this season, as the Lancers try to bring home a trophy for the first time since placing third in 1991. Carmel hasn’t recorded a Top 10 finish since winning three straight state titles from 2009-2011, but could return to title form behind junior Sammi Lococo, who was the All-Around champion at the Mundelein Sectional.
Rolling Meadows senior Kelly Johnston, an individual qualifier, rounds out the list of returning state champions (Balance Beam). Downers Grove South and Glenbard West will also be in search of their first Top 3 finishes and are each led by standout freshman in Abby Carlson and Maddie Diab, respectively.
Below is a look at last year’s state champions and this season’s Sectional winners:
VAULT
2015 State Champion: Aleah Leman, DeKalb (9.8250)
2016 Sectional Champions: Maddie Diab, Glenbard West (9.9250); Maddie Nowak, Hinsdale South (9.7000); Meagan Kehr, Mundelein (9.6000); Maddie Solka, Prairie Ridge Coop (9.8000)
UNEVEN PARALLEL BARS
2015 State Champion: Maddie Solka, Prairie Ridge Coop (9.7000); Rachael Underwood, Prairie Ridge Coop (9.7000); Kelsy Kurfirst, Lyons (9.7000)
2016 Sectional Champions: Aleah Leman, DeKalb, (9.6750); Maddie Nowak, Hinsdale South (9.4750); Katie Wahl, Glenbrook South (9.3500); Maddie Solka, Prairie Ridge Coop (9.5750)
BALANCE BEAM
2015 State Champion: Kelly Johnston, Rolling Meadows (9.6250)
2016 Sectional Champions: Aleah Leman, DeKalb, (9.5500); Maddy Roe, Sandburg (9.3750); Samantha Lococo, Carmel (9.6500); Abby Hasanov, Barrington (9.6000)
FLOOR EXERCISE
2015 State Champion: Abby Hasanov, Barrington (9.7250)
2016 Sectional Champions: Madison Hickey, DeKalb, (9.6250); Abby Carlson, Downers Grove South (9.4750); Samantha Lococo, Carmel (9.4000); Maddie Solka, Prairie Ridge Coop (9.5500)
ALL-AROUND
2015 State Champion: Rachael Underwood, Prairie Ridge Coop (38.2250)
2016 Sectional Champions: Aleah Leman, DeKalb, (38.4250); Maddie Nowak, Hinsdale South (37.6500); Samantha Lococo, Carmel (37.4750); Maddie Solka, Prairie Ridge Coop (38.2000)
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TOURNAMENT HISTORY
40th annual State Series
38th year at Palatine HS
SITE
Palatine HS (Palatine)
Directions
SCHEDULE
Friday, February 19
4:50 p.m.- Parade of
Competitors followed by: Vaulting, Uneven
Parallel Bars, Balance Beam and Floor Exercise.
Saturday, February 20
5:25 p.m. - Parade of
Competitors followed by:
Vaulting, Uneven Parallel Bars, Balance Beam
and Floor Exercise.
QUALIFIERS & RESULTS
Qualifiers
Results: Friday
Saturday
WATCH
No broadcasts scheduled for this event
TICKETS
$10 per session
STUDENT SAFETY
Play Smart. Play Hard.
Take the PSPH pledge...
SOCIAL MEDIA
#IHSA on Twitter
Twitter - @IHSAstate
Instagram - @IHSA_IL
Facebook.com/IHSA.IL
Classic IHSA YouTube Video
OFFICIAL STATE FINAL
Gear from Minerva
Photos from VIP
Souvenir Program
HISTORY & RECORDS
2016 State Series Results
Record Book & Past Champions
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