The 2017 IHSA Girls Gymnastics State Finals will be contested on February 17-18 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) won its first team state title in 2015 and edged DeKalb 150.600 to 148.075 in 2016 to defend its crown. The Wolves will have their sights set on a threepeat in 2017 with the return of defending Bars state champion Nikki Baars, who tied for third in the state in All-Around, as the senior swept all five individual event honors at Sectionals earlier this week.
Prairie Ridge will have eight teams trying to prevent its third straight title in 2017, instead of the usual seven, as a Sectional tie allowed both Lake Park and Conant to advance to state. The latter is led by senior Melynda Meyrick, who swept all five events at the Regional level this postseason.
DeKalb came within two points of its first team state championship a year ago and is considered a top contender again with the return of senior Aleah Leman. Leman, the 2014 Vault state champ, tied Baars for third in All-Around at last year’s state meet, while also winning the Floor Exercise state title. She added three Sectional crowns (Bars, Beam, All-Around) this season, while sophomore Madison Hickey added a Sectional championship in the Floor Exercise for the Barbs.
Speaking of programs who have never won a title before, but will be in the hunt this weekend, Glenbard West definitely fits the bill. The Hilltoppers recorded their best team finish in school history in 2016, placing fourth behind the breakout performance of Maddie Diab. Last year, Diab won two events (Vault, Beam) and then capped her freshman season by winning the All-Around state title. She is on a similar pace as a sophomore, having swept all the events at her Sectional last week.
Carmel was third a year ago in the team standings, marking the program’s first trophy since winning three straight state championships from 2010-2012. The path to the program’s sixth state championship starts with senior Samantha Lococo. Lococo has previously finished in the Top 5 in the state in Floor Exercise, and she won that event, along with Beam and the All-Around title at her Sectional this season.
Glenbook South’s last trophy in IHSA Girls Gymnastics came when the program placed third in 1979. The Titans could be in line to end that streak with junior Hannah Hartley leading the way. Hartley hasn’t previously medaled at state, but she swept her Regional this season and then won the Vault and Bar titles at the Sectional meet.
Lincoln-Way East and New Trier used their depth to reach the state finals, as both squads had three different gymnasts win Regional titles this year.
Among individual qualifiers, Sandburg has a pair of gymnasts to watch in freshman Maddie Giglio and junior Maddy Roe. Giglio won Beam, Floor Exercise and All-Around titles at Sectionals, while her teammate Roe completed the Sandburg sweep at Sectionals by winning Vault and Bars. Lyons’ Olivia Kalata was the only other individual qualifier who won a Sectional event, as the sophomore took home All-Around honors and will be one to watch at state.
VAULT
2016 State Champion: Maddie Diab, Glenbard West (9.900)
2017 Sectional Champions: Maddie Diab, Glenbard West (9.9250); Nikki Baars, Prairie Ridge (9.7750); Hannah Hartley, Glenbrook South (9.7250); Maddy Roe, Sandburg (9.5000)
UNEVEN PARALLEL BARS
2016 State Champion: Nikki Baars, Prairie Ridge Coop (9.575)
2017 Sectional Champions: Aleah Leman, DeKalb (9.7250); Nikki Baars, Prairie Ridge (9.5000); Hannah Hartley, Glenbrook South (9.5000); Maddy Roe, Sandburg (9.4500)
BALANCE BEAM
2016 State Champion: Maddie Diab, Glenbard West (9.525)
2017 Sectional Champions: Aleah Leman, DeKalb, (9.6250); Nikki Baars, Prairie Ridge, (9.5000); Samantha Lococo, Mundelein (Carmel), (9.4250); Maddie Giglio, Sandburg (9.3250)
FLOOR EXERCISE
2016 State Champion: Aleah Leman, DeKalb (9.725)
2017 Sectional Champions: Aleah Leman, DeKalb (9.6750); Nikki Baars, Prairie Ridge (9.6250); Samantha Lococo, Mundelein (Carmel) (9.5500); Maddie Giglio, Sandburg (9.3250)
ALL-AROUND
2016 State Champion: Maddie Diab, Glenbard West (38.200)
2017 Sectional Champions: Maddie Diab, Glenbard West (38.6750); Aleah Leman, DeKalb (38.6750); Nikki Baars, Prairie Ridge (38.4000); Samantha Lococo, Mundelein (Carmel) (37.5250); Maddie Giglio, Sandburg (36.5000); Olivia Kalata, Lyons (36.5000)
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TOURNAMENT HISTORY
41st annual State Series
39th year at Palatine HS
SITE / HOST
Palatine HS (Palatine)
Directions
SCHEDULE
Friday, February 17
1:50 p.m.- Parade of
Competitors followed by: Vaulting, Uneven
Parallel Bars, Balance Beam and Floor Exercise.
Saturday, February 18
1:55 p.m. - Parade of
Competitors followed by:
Vaulting, Uneven Parallel Bars, Balance Beam
and Floor Exercise.
QUALIFIERS & RESULTS
Qualifiers
Results: Friday
Saturday
TICKETS
$10 per session
WATCH/LISTEN
No broadcasts scheduled for this event
OFFICIAL STATE FINAL
Gear from Minerva
Photos from VIP
Souvenir Program
SOCIAL MEDIA #IHSA
Twitter - @IHSAstate
Instagram - @IHSA_IL
Facebook.com/IHSA.IL
Classic IHSA YouTube Video
STATE SUPPORTERS
Country Financial
Wilson Sporting Goods
Gatorade
MaxPreps
HISTORY & RECORDS
2017 State Series Results
Record Book & Past Champions
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