Girls Gymnastics: Sandburg/Stagg eyes at-large sectional bid
By Logan Malloy For Sun-Times Media January 30, 2012 10:48PM
Andrew's Jamie Valla competes on the balance beam during Oswego Regional on Monday. | Brian Powers~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 1, 2012 8:44AM
The waiting game begins for the Sandburg/Stagg gymnastics co-op.
Sandburg/Stagg, with a score of 135.05, missed out on the automatic qualifying bid to sectionals with a second-place finish at the four-team Oswego Regional.
Host Oswego took first with a 139.375, and Sandburg/Stagg now will wait to see if it has qualified for an at-large berth.
“In my 27 years coaching the team, we’ve never not made it to sectionals,” coach Mike White said. “It will be a bitter pill to swallow, but I’m still proud of the girls because we have such a great group.”
Sandburg/Stagg will send two individual qualifiers to sectionals.
Freshman Anna Grlich qualified on the uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise and finished third in the all-around with a score of 35.675. Senior Sarah Mussalem advanced with a third-place finish on the vault (9.425).
“Sarah has been a part of the rebuilding process, which is a tough role for a kid to go through,” White said. “She really helped prepare our younger kids and she let everyone know the team came first.”
The top all-around performer was Andrew’s Jamie Valla (37.750). The junior finished first on the vault, floor and bars and was second to Oswego’s Emily Flammersfeld on the beam.
“I was nervous about today’s meet,” Valla said. “It’s a hard turnaround after competing in Saturday’s conference meet. I was pretty sore.”
Andrew finished third in the sectional with a team score of 132.250.
Plainfield North’s Kori Boe finished fourth in the all-around with a 35.450. She placed in the top five in every event.
Plainfield East’s Shukera Birge advanced to the sectional on the vault (9.275).
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