Gymnastics

Chad T. Richards, 23, of Loves Park, Illinois was scheduled to appear in court Monday on charges he killed 21-year-old Kara Welsh of Plainfield on Friday.

Kara Welsh, 21, of Plainfield was found shot multiple times in an apartment near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus Friday night. Welsh would have started her senior year on Tuesday.

Seven months ago, Algonquin resident Alison Wright, 52, took home the silver medal at the adult Gymnastics Masters Team World Cup competition in Germany. Now she returns to the international stage.

Downers Grove co-op junior gymnast Genevieve Herion, who won the balance beam and was fifth in the all-around for team runner-up Downers Grove at the girls gymnastics state meet, is the Suburban Life Athlete of the Week in an online vote.

Downers Grove co-op took second place and Wheaton co-op third place behind Hersey, which won its first state gymnastics title in 40 years on Saturday in Palatine. Downers Grove's Genevieve Herion and Edie Condon were the top two in balance beam.

Defending state champion Downers Grove Co-op is a point behind Hersey, with Wheaton Co-op a close third after the first day of the state gymnastics meet in Palatine.

Images from the IHSA Girls State Gymnastics Meet at Palatine High School on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024.

Defending state champion Downers Grove co-op has a different look from last year's state gymnastics champions, but the Trostangs already have outscored that team. After posting the highest sectional score in the state, they'll look to defend their title this weekend.

Haylie Hinckley won the all-around, vault and floor, leading Wheaton Co-op to the title of the Wheaton Warrenville South Sectional and an automatic state bid.

DeKalb-Sycamore had one gymnast state tournament, while Kendra Brown and Anna Herrmann hit some milestones. That and more in the roundup.

Lake Park posted a massive score of 144.875 to win its own regional on Tuesday as individuals from Wheaton Academy and Willowbrook also advanced to sectionals.

The Glenbard West girls regional gymnastics meet was held in Glen Ellyn on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024.

York senior Angela Stangarone, who won the all-around, vault, beam and floor exercise at the West Suburban Silver meet, leading York to its first conference championship since 1988, is the Suburban Life Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with Joshua Welge.

Geneva sophomore Reese Lackey, who tied for second in the all-around and won the balance beam at the DuKane Conference gymnastics meet, is the Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with Joshua Welge.

Leah Chapski won vault, Grace Flint won bars and beam and Lilly McCarthy took third in the all-around as the Hilltoppers scored a season-high 139.525 during Wednesday’s Glenbard West Regional.

The Oswego co-op earned its second consecutive regional championship by easily outdistancing runner-up Oak Park-River Forest at its own regional on Monday night.

Oswego High School hosted the Oswego Regional gymnastics meet on Monday, Jan. 29, 2024.

For the third year in a row, Oswego co-op took top honors, scoring 138.5 points. Sam Phillip, an Oswego junior, also pulled off the three-peat, earning her third all-around Upstate Eight first-place medal, tallying 35.9 points. The team won all four events.

The Dukes ended one 36-year streak Saturday. They tied for first at the West Suburban Conference Silver Meet. “Is that the last time we won conference? That’s just crazy,” said Angela Stangarone, who won all-around (37.275) by 1.825 points,

Lake Park and the rest of girls gymnastics teams in the conference got tropical during the DuKane on Wednesday evening, but only the Lancers hit all their routines. They needed such tremendous execution to get past Wheaton co-op and capture the conference title.

Competing in a rare Thursday meet at lunchtime against Geneva in DuKane Conference action, Mia LaFratta won two events as Wheaton co-op outscored the Vikings, 140.9 to 134.75.

York's gymnastics team was a close second to Glenbrook South at the 37th Annual Palatine Invitational, while York's Angela Stangarone was second in the all-around and Melania Veselovsky tied for fifth.

Gymnastics season is underway. Here are previews of teams from around the Kane County Chronicle area.

While their role as high-scoring all-arounders remains the same, Oswego co-op juniors Sam Phillip and Ava Sullivan are now adjusting into new roles this winter as leaders who influence and guide a young Oswego co-op girls gymnastics team.

Alison Wright will be competing in Einbeck, Germany on Oct. 6 for the Gymnastics Masters Team World Cup.

Pure magic would describe “Corteo,” a fantasy-filled production by Cirque du Soleil, whose signature circus artistry is paired with absorbing theater and live vocalists and musicians sharing the performance space. It is playing through June 4 in the western suburbs.

Cirque du Soleil returns to northern Illinois for the first time since 2019, presenting “Corteo” from June 1 to 4.

It was a first-rate performance by Lake Park Saturday at the boys gymnastics team and individual finals in Hoffman Estates.

Cary-Grove’s Alexander Riley averaged a 9.25 on the vault to take third place at the IHSA Boys Gymnastics State Finals on Saturday in Hoffman Estates. Plus much more boys tennis, baseball, softball, girls soccer, boys and girls lacrosse scores.

Downers Grove co-op sophomore Genevieve Herion, who took third in the all-around and third in the uneven parallel bars, leading Downers Grove Co-op to its first state gymnastics title, is the Suburban Life Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her Q&A with Joshua Welge.

Downers Grove co-op won its first IHSA state gymnastics title and Geneva was third, while DuKane Conference gymnasts swept the vault, balance beam and floor exercise at Saturday's state finals in Palatine.

Downers Grove co-op is in first place and in position to win its first state gymnastics title and Geneva is in third place after Friday's first day of the state gymnastics meet. Downers Grove's Genevieve Herion took third in the all-around

Gymnasts compete in the IHSA Girls State Final Gymnastics Meet, Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, at Palatine High School.

The Downers Grove co-op gymnastics team, which posted the top team score at the sectional meet, is in the hunt for the program's first state championship at the state meet that gets underway Friday. Geneva was the top at-large team to qualify

Praire Ridge gymnasts compete in the IHSA Stevenson Gymnastics Sectional on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, during at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire.

Hinsdale South hosted a sectional gymnastics meet in Darien on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

Led by all-around champion Genevieve Herion, the Downers Grove co-op gymnastics team won the Hinsdale South Sectional title to qualify for the state finals. Geneva was a close second with Oswego co-op fourth.

DeKalb-Sycamore scored 2.1 points better on beam than it did at the regional while all four of its all-arounders outscored last week’s totals to edge host Lake Park and win the Lake Park Sectional title. Glenbard West was third.

Geneva High School hosted a regional gymnastics meet on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.

Geneva finished with 142.175, well ahead of runner-up Batavia’s 132.375, to take the regional title at home Wednesday night. Riverside-Brookfield had a 128.85 and Naperville Central finished its season with a 123.9.

Sycamore senior Leah Benson won beam and took second in the all-around to lead DeKalb-Sycamore to the regional title at Wheaton Warrenville South Monday while Wheaton Warrenville co-op junior Haylie Hinckley was the all-around champ.

Kaneland senior Olivia Kerrins endured multiple concussions, a severe knee injury and the onset of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. She's fought through them all, and is back competing this season.

Despite missing multiple athletes due to injury, Glenbard West claimed it's eighth West Suburban Silver title in a row.

Sadie Karlson won three events and the all-around title to lead Geneva to its third invite win of the season on Saturday with a season-high 144.55 points at Neuqua Valley.

Here is a midseason report for gymnastics teams from around the Suburban Life coverage area.

Seniors Sammy Hopper and Skylar Oh, who both reached the 2022 state gymnastics meet event finals and helped Glenbard West finish fourth as a team, are back to lead the Hilltoppers this season.

Lake Park took second and Lyons third behind team champion Palatine at Saturday's state boys gymnastics meet. Downers Grove North was sixth, Hinsdale Central seventh and Wheaton co-op eighth.

Freshman Jake Mateja won the pommel horse and sophomore Parker Elisha won the vault and was third in the all-around, leading Downers Grove North's gymnastics team to a sectional title and state bid. York took second and Glenbard West third.

Teacher appreciation series feature on Downers Grove's Kristyn Campos.

Led by all-around champion Karl Vachlin, Lake Park won the sectional title to automatically qualify for a berth at the state tournament, while Wheaton co-op was second.