Gymnastics: New-look Downers Grove co-op gearing up to defend state title

Freshman Edie Condon was watching from the stands while junior Alli Palansky was an alternate and sophomore Emilie Kuchta and senior Madison Piotrowski were single-event specialists for the Downers Grove co-op state championship girls gymnastics team last February.

Today, Condon is the highest-scoring freshman all-arounder in the state with a score of 36.7 at sectionals, Palansky is competing as the team’s third all-arounder and Kuchta and Piotrowski are contributing on three events each.

The defending state champion Trostangs might be a different team this year, having said goodbye to graduates Kate Snouffer, Emily Smetana and Natalie Simpson, but they’ve already outscored that team. While they lost nearly half of the team’s 145.575 points they scored at state a year ago to diplomas, they’ve produced a new team that now is gearing up to defend that state title.

Sophomore Kaelyn Landry, who contributed to the team score on three events at state last year, also has continued her specialist role and joins Kuchta, Piotrowski and junior all-arounder/scoring leader, Genevieve Herion, as the team’s four gymnasts who scored at state last year.

Herion, who was third in the all-around with a 37.4 at state last year and scored a 37.65 during last Thursday’s Hinsdale Central sectional, believes she and the rest of the Trostangs are ready.

“We’re all confident and ready to go,” she said. “We’re going to stay together. No expectations. Just going to go and do it together.”

Their 146.1 at the Hinsdale Central sectional was the highest in the state while Vernon Hills posted a 145.5 at the Glenbrook South sectional. The two teams finished 1-2 last year (145.575-144.975), but have already outscored themselves in the sectional where they finished 0.6 apart, which coincidentally is 0.6 apart from their respective totals at state last year.

Other top-scoring teams fighting for the state championship include Wheaton co-op (144.55), Lake Park (144.1) and Hersey (143.225).

“I’ve had to step into a leadership role which has been exciting to do,” Herion said. “We have so much fun together. It’s been a great time.”

Condon watched some of her future teammates from Palatine’s bleachers a year ago.

“I was at state on Friday so I was watching them and they just all looked very confident,” she said. “I was super excited to join the team and knew they were all super good.”

Her first season as a high school gymnast has been extraordinary already.

“It’s been even better than I expected,” she said. “It’s so much fun. Everyone is truly family. All the times at practice are so much fun. It’s just a great experience.”

Even during times away from the mat, the Trostangs are having a good time.

In the company of her Downers Grove co-op gymnastics team after Wednesday’s practice, Kuchta busted out laughing when asked about the larger role she’s taken this season. It’s not that the question was funny, but that the kids are giddy with excitement about doing a sport they love and having an opportunity to accomplish something special and difficult - to be the best in the state.

“I feel good going into state, doing more events than last year,” Kuchta said. “I know my teammates have my back.”

Fun and laughter coincide with toughness and pride.

“A lot of the practices, bus rides and meets are filled with laughter,” Downers Grove co-op coach Kristyn Campos said. “I am really intentional about letting them be themselves and planning practices so they know the expectations of their assignments. I appreciate the respect they show me when I tell them to ‘lock in,’ I often remind them that we are not at meets to watch we have a job to do and we need to do it together.”

Palansky competed as an all-arounder when the Trostangs took eighth in 2022.

“I was an alternate last year and freshman year I did state,” she said. “I pushed myself on the events, especially on bars, because I knew I had to improve to get that spot. I’m proud of myself from last year being an alternate and then the team motivated me to do better.”

Her 9.1 on vault and 9 on beam at the sectional helped the team become the only one in the state to surpass 146.

“I would agree that she’s the most improved from last year,” Campos said. “She has good days and tough days like they all have. She wants to get it right for her, for her team.”

In a sport as physically demanding as gymnastics, kids inevitably are going to accumulate their share of bumps and bruises over the course of the season. In addition to competing when not at 100%, teams also occasionally lose a gymnast to an injury like the Trostangs did in late January when sophomore Lauren Deacy was sidelined for the season. She had scored a 33.5 in the all-around as recently as Jan. 23 against Leyden.

Rather than sulk about losing a teammate, the Trostangs simply told another gymnast that she’d need to contribute more. Piotrowski stepped up and took on new responsibilities in stride. She added key scores on bars, beam and floor during the sectional. Last year, Piotrowski was solely focused on floor at state.

“I feel like taking on more responsibilities I have to push myself harder,” she said. “I also feel like I’ve been trying to take on a role of pushing my teammates. When working on our routines for state we’re pushing everyone to do their best and to have the same mindset that I can do the best I can while pushing them.”

They’ll look to push each other back up to the award stand on this weekend.