January 21, 2025
Sports

High school girls gymnastics: Wheaton gymnast quartet has 'great experience' at state meet

By BILL STONE
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Wheaton co-op gymnast Julie Galo competes in the beam preliminaries on Feb. 19 during the state meet at Palatine HIgh School. Galo was a vault and all-around state qualifier. (Sarah Nader)

PALATINE – Wheaton co-op senior Petrina Chino’s satisfaction with her final high school gymnastics routine far surpassed the frustration soon afterward.

Chino gave a solid performance on the uneven parallel bars for a 9.20 score Feb. 19 at the state meet preliminaries at Palatine High School. She tied for 11th, .025 away from making the event finals the next day for those who earned the top 10 scores.

“It was really tough just to see that, just knowing it was over from there,” said Chino, who tied for 16th on bars last year (9.125). “It’s not like I’m going to look back and say I could have done this or done that better. I’m not regretting anything that happened. Just knowing I’d be coming back for [finals] would have been fun.”

Wheaton co-op advanced four individuals to state for the second straight year and experienced a changing of the guard. While Chino and senior Julie Galo returned, freshmen Jackie Kerth and Macy Smykal made their state debuts.

In her individual qualifying events, Galo tied for 19th on vault (9.35) and was 31st in all-around (34.875).

Kerth tied for 29th on vault (9.075).

Smykal was 34th on balance beam (8.4).

Chino and Kerth attend Wheaton Warrenville South. Galo and Smykal attend Wheaton North.

“Eight seniors graduated, so to get that many back [to state] is phenomenal,” Wheaton co-op coach Maureen Kermend said. “It was a good routine [by Chino], but it was just a great field of kids this year, too. To be up that high was really impressive.”

Galo qualified solely on floor in 2015. She had issues with her grips during uneven bars in the prelims but was especially pleased with vault and the floor exercise portion of her all-around, where she scored a 9.15.

“I didn’t expect it to go this well for me. I’m just glad that I hit all of my events,” Galo said. “I’m so happy with everything. I don’t think I could have had a better season.”

The freshmen were excited and grateful to join the seniors at state after achieving season-high scores at sectionals.

“It was a great experience,” Smykal said. “I wouldn’t expect to come to state because not a lot of freshmen do, so it was awesome.”

“I’m just happy to be here,” added Kerth, who landed her first of two pike Tsukaharas. “You’re always so nervous and everything, but really after your event you realize that you really had no pressure.”