Gymnastics: Sammy Hopper, Skylar Oh take the lead for Glenbard West

Seniors Sammy Hopper and Skylar Oh joined the Glenbard West girls gymnastics program as freshmen not knowing each other yet sharing hopes of continuing the Hilltoppers’ state-qualifying tradition.

The now good friends both reached the 2022 state meet event finals and helped the Hilltoppers finish fourth (144.90 points).

The all-arounders have become state-level standouts since those freshman days following the Hilltoppers’ back-to-back state championships. In their state debuts, Oh reached the finals on floor exercise (8th, 9.2) and uneven parallel bars (12th, 8.9) and Hopper was a floor finalist (11th, 8.7) and qualified on vault (tied for 15th, 9.3).

They also share other similarities.

“There’s no way we’re not going to be nervous and stressed,” Hopper said. “That’s just not going to happen, but having someone there to talk to that feels the exact same way is nice. I can’t watch anybody else’s routines if they’re on my team. I want them to succeed so much. I hide behind [teammates] all of the time, anybody who’s there.”

Seniors Autumn White, a state beam qualifier (25th, 8.925), and Brooklyn Ford and sophomore Grace Flint also return from the state lineup. There was no 2021 state meet because of COVID-19 restrictions. The 2020 Hilltoppers missed an at-large state berth by only .175.

“[Last season] showed how much work we put in as a team and how much work we put in individually. As you get older freshman to senior year, you see your scores improve on events,” Hopper said.

“Missing [state] was kind of heartbreaking our freshman year. Making it as a team was amazing,” Oh said. “I was really proud of my bars because freshman year I wasn’t too great but gradually I started adding more skills and became consistent.”

On uneven bars at the season-opening Hinsdale South Invitational on Nov. 23, Oh won with a personal-best 9.4 and Hopper’s third-place 9.1 marked her first 9. Hopper has been a 36.00-plus all-arounder two of the first three meets.

“You know there’s a lot of athletes that have the talent, but not all have that varsity dedication,” Glenbard West coach Carlos Fuentes said. “The second thing is really their selflessness. A lot of people want to just work to their strengths. You have that evolution of Sammy, who never considered herself a bars worker, and Skylar’s added [balance] beam. It’s not her favorite event, but it’s what the team needs.”

Fuentes said Oh brings an analytical approach combined with tireless effort that helps her envision, grasp and eventually achieve new skills.

“If she falls on something [in practice], she goes back and does it a million times until it’s perfect,” Hopper said. “Especially on bars, she’ll take 20 more turns than everybody else. I’m like, ‘OK, that’s what I’ve got to do.’ Not copy that but feed off that to get better, too.”

Oh also is among few gymnasts who compete with their glasses.

“I don’t like contacts. I wouldn’t want to touch my eyes and I literally can’t see the runway for vault without my glasses,” Oh said.

Hopper has an infectious energy that especially shows during her explosive floor routine with a double back flip. Always afraid of backwards skills, Oh remains impressed.

“At practice, she’s super-duper happy and cheerful. She lightens the mood a lot,” Oh said. “During meets sometimes, Sammy and I stress together and it kind of makes it better.”

Inspiration also comes from a smaller varsity group battling injuries. The Hilltoppers were second at the Dec. 10 home invitational (season-high 140.85) using five all-arounders – Hopper, Oh, White, Flint and sophomore Leah Chapski.

“We’re all super supportive and everyone around you is working hard, so it motivates you to work even harder,” Oh said. “And [Fuentes] pushes us really well to focus on skills we thought we couldn’t do.”

Oh and Hopper would appreciate the chance to improve their individual finishes in the state finals. Their primary goal remains the team qualifying.

“If we could make it, that really proves how much we put into it,” Hopper said. “It’s cool for us [making finals], but I’d rather our team makes it. That way that means we all get to be there together.”