L-Way Co-Op Gymnasts Hope to Party Like it's 2006

The Lincoln-Way co-op boys gymnastics team is aiming for a state championship this season. Taking second place and looking up at Stevenson, Glenbard North and York the past three years simply has the program hungry for another state title, the last of which it took home in 2006.

This year also will mark the third straight year that Lincoln-Way East will host the state finals as the event has shifted from Barrington.

The boys will have time to show what they're capable of over the next two weeks. L-Way was to travel  to Hinsdale Central on Friday for the Neil Krupicka Invite. Then, on March 26, L-Way will head to Rolling Meadows for the Vic Avigliano Invite. L-Way took care of business on March 10 at the Homewood-Floosmoor Invite.

At H-F, Lincoln-Way won all six events and featured five winning gymnasts. Ajani Cargle was the lone multi-event champion, claiming parallel bars with a 9.4 and pommel horse with an 8.9. The team's other winners were Victor Valencia on floor (9.5), Tyler Yost on vault (9.35), Ryan Reif on still rings (9.2) and Jake Gratkowski on high bar (8.9).

"We're right where I want them to be for the most part," Lincoln-Way coach Skip Adamson said. "They're still putting things in and making falls at critical spots, but that's OK. If they were perfecting everything now, they'd be getting bored and then I wouldn't be working them hard enough in the first place."

* The Lincoln-Way North girls water polo dropped an 11-8 decision to Bremen on Thursday. Still, Phoenix coach Kendra Will was pleased with what she saw from her young team.

“We were ahead for awhile, so I thought we played a lot better against them then I thought we would,” she said. “Bremen’s a co-op team, so they have a lot of good players.”

Goalie Jessica Beringer and Emily Seyforth (hole) are two seniors for the Phoenix. Seyforth also was named class valedictorian. Juniors Megan Wortel, Jenna Tasic and Maggie Brtis and sophomores Sam Klosak and Cheyenne DeGraff are all playing significant roles for the team this spring.

Earlier this season, Lincoln-Way North beat St. Charles East 14-3 and lost to Richards 12-5. The Phoenix have time to dedicate theselves in practice as they won’t return to action until they face Sandburg on March 29.

“We’ve improved a lot since we played Richards,” Will said. “This team is so new because we had five seniors last year. So, everyone is stepping up and doing a great job and improving so much.”

* Lincoln-East’s girls soccer team is still in pursuit of its first victory. The Griffins (0-1-1) dropped a 3-1 decision to Downers Grove South on Thursday. Erin Mangia's second-half direct kick accounted for their only scoring for the Griffins. For more information, please check out: www.chicagolandsoccer.net/Girls%202011%20Season/Week%20One/lwevdgs.htm

* Several area basketball players were recognized on all-conference teams.

At Lincoln-Way East, juniors Joel Magrum and Jelan Yancy were selected to the  Southwest Suburban Blue team. For the girls, Taylor Johnson and Kelly McGovern were chosen.

At Lincoln-Way North, Erynn Schuh and Emily Jenkins were recognized for their efforts and selected to represent the Phoenix on the all-Southwest Suburban Red team. For the boys, senior guard Lance Payner’s final season was noteworthy as he was chosen as the team’s lone all-conference player.

* The Lincoln-Way North badminton team dropped its first two matches of the season to T.F. South (13-2) and arguably the top team in the state, Sandburg (15-0). Phoenix coach Betsy Sawin considers seniors Brittany Worley and Kaori Shimamoto and juniors Taylor Healy and Samantha Jackson to be the team’s top players.