Girls Gymnastics: Kelsey Kurfirst registers another all-around win

Kelsy Kurfirst’s gymnastics career started with ballet classes when she was 4-years old.

“My mom said I was always jumping around,” Kurfirst said. “I would jump on dots on the floor.”

Eventually. Kurfirst found more sensible reasons to jump for.

When ballet was wasn’t enough for the energetic little girl from Western Springs, Kurfirst’s mother, Sally, signed her daughter up for gymnastics.

Years later, Kurfirst has made a smashing debut as a member of LT team. Kurfirst has won the all-around title in her first two meets and could make it No. 3 Friday when Lyons competes at the DeKalb Invitational.

“It feels great, I’m proud of myself. Honestly, I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” Kurfirst said. “They energize me and are supportive of me. They motivate me. They are all hard workers.”

Kurfirst clinched all-around title No. 2 on Saturday at Downers Grove North’s Big Purple Invitational. Kurfirst won three of four events to finish with an all-around total of 36.875 to beat Fremd’s Stephanie Gallo (36.10).

LT finished second (104.275) to Fremd (108.075), which won its 19th consecutive title.

Kurfirst won the vault (9.525), uneven bars (9.5) and floor exercise (9.2) and placed fourth on balance beam (8.65).

She led the Lions to second at the season-opening Hinsdale South Invitational Nov. 23 with wins in all-around (37.25), on bars (9.45) and on floor (9.45). She took second on vault (9.45) and fifth on beam (8,9).

When not competing for LT, Kurfirst has competed for the Action Gymnastics club in Burr Ridge for the past two years.

Kurfirst grew up watching her older brother Kyle’s soccer games at LT. Kyle was a member of the Lions’ 2009 Class 3A state championship team and became an All-State selection the following year when he was a senior.

“I went to a few (high school) gymnastics meets last year and the year before,” Kurfirst said. “It helps that my brother was a part of high school athletics and that I went to a lot of his games.”

Kelsy even tried playing her brother’s favorite sport, soccer, for one year after her mother signed her up.

“It didn’t work out. I fell in love with gymnastics, which I was doing since I was 4-years old,” Kurfirst said.

Kurfirst isn’t the only freshman heating things up for LT this season. Kelly Ryser was eighth in all-around at Hinsdale South, but injured her left ankle on her first vault at Downers North. Ryser could not continue in all-around and competed in one more event, the beam (8.2), and finished 10th. She was 12th earlier on floor (8.625).

Kalen Iffert placed seventh in all-around (33.75) and placed 10th on vault (9.075).

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