It’s regional time for girls gymnastics as the Valley Co-Op is the host at Neuqua Valley, ready to chalk up against three other teams, including defending state champs, the Downers Grove Co-Op. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The Trostangs get off on the right foot with Emilie Kuchta performing a back pike on the vault and landing a 9.42. That’s good enough for a second-place finish.
Lucia Caruso takes first in two events
Lucia Caruso for the Valley steps up her performance with more hand springs and a back pike to give her first place on the attempt. A 9.475 is one of her top performances of the year.
Over to the parallel bars, where Homewood Flossmoor’s Olivia Davis Fields puts on a good routine that lands her in fourth place in the bars and in the all-around
Ella Buchenauer from the Valley keeps it together with precision around both bars. She lets go and displays a double tuck to culminate in a score of 8.7 for third place on the podium.
Though it’s Downers Grove flexing all over the bar with Kaelyn Landry showing off the double back tuck to break surpass nine.
Caroline Phillip puts the exclamation point on by taking first with a twist and scores an impressive 9.5. Phillips is the all-around champion as well.
Let’s test out our balance on the beam. Homewood Flossmoor’s Morgan Haynes gets an 8.1 but places third in the all-around.
Back to the Valley via Jade Woulfe, seeking a good performance to continue her season. In the end, she lunges into a straight twist, helping Woulfe leap into a fifth-place tie.
The Valley Co-Op moves on to sectionals as a team
Here’s Caruso once again, this time on the floor. She runs and shows a couple of handsprings, leading to a first-place score of 9.3. The senior finishes in second in the all-around.
Downers Grove adds another regional to the trophy case
Downers Grove continues to show why they’re one of the state’s best. Emilie Kuchta puts on a second-place showing on the floor but caps off a dominating performance as the Trostangs secure their sixth straight regional. Sectionals are up next at Oswego. The Valley is able to earn a team at-large berth into the Oswego sectional thanks to a second-place score of 135.15.
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