Gymnastics: Wheaton’s Haylie Hinckley, a three-sport star, continues to soar in gymnastics

It’s scary when a gymnast goes flying the wrong way.

Like when Wheaton co-op gymnast Haylie Hinckley missed the recatch of the bar while attempting a Jaeger during a home dual against Geneva in early January.

Hinckley’s momentum from her swing left her short of catching the bar. It sent her face-first towards the mat looking like Superman almost flying slowly in reverse with her arms extended in front of her pointing toward the elusive bar.

Of course, Hinckley wasn’t happy when it happened – but nonetheless was smiling afterward as she collected herself and rose from the mat.

“It’s kind of upsetting because I made it during warmups perfectly,” she said. “I’ve made it in the last four meets. When I do fall it’s a little upsetting because I know I can do it. The adrenalin gets to you sometimes.”

Her adrenalin may have gotten to her that time, but rarely does anything get to Hinckley who is super in her own right. She’s the rarest of the rare high school athlete. The Wheaton Warrenville South senior already has advanced to state in three IHSA sports in an era where some athletes remain committed to a single sport 365 days a year.

She most recently took 13th place in diving at state this fall. Last spring she took sixth place in the high jump during the girls track and field state finals. Last February she became a state champion in gymnastics, winning the floor title with a 9.65. She also was a state finalist on vault, placing ninth and proved she’s one of the top high school gymnasts in the state by taking fifth in the all-around with a 36.95.

“She’s really an overall athlete,” Wheaton co-op girls gymnastics coach Maureen Kermend said. “She’s diving, she’s doing the high jump in track, and gymnastics. And we’ve talked about what it would be like if Haylie was at a different school and didn’t have this team. We never want to discount the fact that especially Jordan (Wach) and Mia (LaFratta) are really driving her. They’re pushing the pace. It would be a lot different I think if we were a team in the 120s and she’s the superstar of the team. You just don’t have that same drive.

“They’re good to each other. They show a lot of care for each other’s growth which is exciting. It would be different without the whole group.”

Thinking about the whole team and not just herself is a key reason why Hinckley has fit in so well with the team concept of high school gymnastics that Kermend has created at Wheaton co-op.

“I think Haylie’s resilience sets a great example for the rest of our team, especially the younger girls who tend to get a lot more upset when they fall,” LaFratta said. “So Haylie getting right back up and finishing with the perfect double and everything is definitely inspiring for our team.”

Like two peas in a pod, Wach and Hinckley are pretty much inseparable, with the duo leading the team as its all-arounders. LaFratta leads the team’s specialists with Rylee Baaske, Anjali Cowart, Marlee Larson, Elli Macellaio and Sammie Purser among those contributing.

“Haylie has been very encouraging,” Wach said. “Whenever I’m scared for a skill I just want her to be here because for the three years we’ve been here, we’ve been together. We kind of go from every event to event and stick to each other’s side. It’s nice to have her always there when I need her.”

Wheaton co-op is now setting its sights on getting the entire team to state for the fourth time, but first since placing eighth in 2018.

“I love this team so much, especially after seeing all the other groups I’ve been with,” Hinckley said. “This is the most motivated hard working group that wants to go to state. We’re all just motivated and all want to do well and we push each other to do well.”

Amazingly, Hinckley almost didn’t come back to gymnastics after quitting the sport prior to high school. During her hiatus she took her mom’s advice to try another sport.

“I did club gymnastics until about my freshmen year and I quit and that’s when I started track and diving,” she said. “My mom said I would like diving since it’s very similar to gymnastics, but just different with the diving board and everything, but once you get the hang of it, it’s basically the same thing. And then with track, I was just bored with my club (gymnastics) team and didn’t know what to do with myself and I just tried it and loved it.”

Hinckley had tried other sports prior to high school, but nothing came close to her bond with gymnastics.

“I originally started with gymnastics at age four and then did that until freshman year,” she said. “I did soccer for a year (prior to high school) but didn’t like it. They made me take out my earrings. I did softball for a few years and then it basically came down to softball or gymnastics so I picked gymnastics.”

Little did she know at the time, but she’d end up leaving her favorite sport only to return to it – albeit in a different setting. Now she’ll continue to do it beyond high school as she’s committed to being a gymnast at the University of Eau Claire, a Division III program where sisters and former Glenbard East standouts, Kelsey and Erin Donovan, now compete.

“Her first year was COVID so she came in here sophomore year,” Kermend said. “One of the things we try to offer the girls is that this (Wheaton co-op) is a place you can love gymnastics again, and all the coaches really work hard to make it a positive experience for the girls while still being competitive.”

Super athletes do super things, some which are hard to believe, including a talent that Hinckley literally shares with a well-known fictitious superhero. While Superman is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, Hinckley can jump over someone literally taller than her.

“I think the one that surprised me the most was track because I didn’t think I could jump that high,” she said. “I literally jumped over myself. I jumped 5-6 and I’m only 5-4. That one really shocked me. I don’t know how I did it.”

Kind of like trying to comprehend how a kid who quit her favorite sport before high school was able to not only return to it and become a state champion, but also get to state in two other sports that she had never played before high school.

And she’s not finished yet. She still has the final few weeks of the gymnastics season as well as the high jump in the spring.

Wheaton co-op scored a 143.35 in a victory against Batavia on Jan. 17 as it became just the sixth team to score a 143 or better this season. Hinckley won the all-around with a 37.95 while posting an eye-popping 9.9 during her floor routine.

Hinckley and her teammates will then open the postseason with a regional at Leyden on Jan. 30 before hosting a sectional on Feb. 8.