Girls Gymnastics: Waubonsie/Metea take regional

Updated: January 31, 2012 10:59PM

The long, narrow balance beam at Saturday’s Upstate Eight Conference meet had Neuqua Valley longing for redemption when the Wildcats returned to action on Tuesday to host the Neuqua Valley regional.

With the regular season slate wiped clean, the Wildcats were looking to upset their friend and neighboring rival, Waubonsie Valley/Metea Valley co-op, a squad that not only shares the same gym as the Wildcats but tamed them in six of seven meets this season prior to Tuesday.

Neuqua Valley closed on beam with a 33.975, nearly three points better than the 30.950 it settled for at the UEC, but it still wasn’t enough to catch up to Waubonsie/Metea, which won the regional with a season-best 141.675. Neuqua Valley was runner-up with a 135.125 and followed by Homewood-Flossmoor’s 126.8 and Downers Grove North’s 120.3.

“It helped being at home and having our home equipment,” Neuqua Valley coach Joann Pschigoda said. “If we could’ve got Emily (Jacobs) to stick her dismount then it’s even a closer ballgame.”

The Wildcats really didn’t get close to Waubonsie/Metea as the 1-2 punch of Elizabeth Brandenburg (36.425) and Maddie Strick (36) secured the top two spots in the all-around. Strick’s 36 was a career-best.

“I was so glad that I hit on beam because that was one of my best beam routines,” Strick said. “I guess my bars was OK, but I could’ve done better, but I still got first so hey, it was good, and vault was my high score all season and then floor was just OK.”

Also for the winners, sophomore Alexa Puccio added a 33.375 in the all-around while Jessica Malon had a big-night of second place finishes, taking second on bars with an 8.775, locked in a four-way tie for second on beam with an 8.85 and finishing right behind Brandenburg’s win on floor with a 9.25.

Brandenburg also won vault with a 9.4 and beam with a 9.025.

“Beam was the key for us today,” Waubonsie/Metea coach Nicole Daly said. “We had been a little shaky on it the last few meets. They pulled it together and it gave us momentum going into floor.”

Waubonsie/Metea now advances to next Monday’s Hinsdale Central sectional while the Wildcats will be scoreboard watching, hoping to land one of two at large team qualifiers.

Four of the Wildcats punched their ticket to Hinsdale Central. Riley Wypiszenski scored a 9.35 on vault and also moved on with a 34.325 in the all-around. Freshman Emily Jacobs took third in the all-around with a 34.725 and also advanced in every event save for bars, while Shania Lim had an 8.875 on vault and freshman Isis Ruff scored an 8.3 on parallel bars to also move on.

Homewood-Flossmoor senior Ciara Adkins took fourth in the all-around with a 34.5 and also qualified for sectional competition on parallel bars and floor. Lockport’s Athanasia Pappas was the lone Porter gymnast to continue her season. She tied for second on beam with an 8.85.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.