His team was facing the overwhelming task of going head to head with perhaps the state’s most prominent gymnastics program for a chance to qualify for next week’s state meet.
But when Prairie Ridge coach Lee Battaglia was asked whether he honestly felt his team had a chance of knocking off Fremd in the Barrington sectional gymnastics meet Monday, his answer was confident.
“New England beat St. Louis, didn’t they?” Battaglia said with a laugh.
The Wolves didn’t exactly pull off a Super Bowl kind of stunner, but in throwing a scare into Fremd–and leading 110.1-109.4 after three events–Prairie Ridge established itself as an up-and-coming program that is likely to challenge Fremd and Stevenson for seasons to come.
Prairie Ridge, which competes as a co-op team with girls from Crystal Lake Central and Cary-Grove, finished second to Fremd at the sectional, 146.075-145.1. The winners of the four statewide sectionals (Barrington, Lincolnshire, Neuqua Valley and Hinsdale Central) qualify as teams for next week’s IHSA state meet at Palatine along with four at-large teams that post the next best point totals.
“In gymnastics, anything can happen. Just like in golf, just like in football,” Battaglia said. “If people were predicting the finish of this meet, nobody would have picked us. [Fremd] was clearly the favorite. And not for one minute did I think this would happen.”
Perhaps more impressive than staying close to Fremd was the manner in which the Wolves, who finished seventh last year as a team in the school’s first state meet appearance, accomplished the feat.
Prairie Ridge has been competing without its best all-around performer, senior Jeanette Mitmoen, since she injured her back in December. Another three-year veteran, Allison Cowan, has been performing with seven stitches in one of her feet.
Two members of the team, senior Abby Les and junior Lexi Vermillion, qualified to participate in the state meet in individual competition, both on vault.
In a sport that is known predominantly for individuals, Prairie Ridge put it together as a team.
Despite drawing beam as the first competition, the Wolves had their best effort of the season on perhaps the most difficult apparatus after a solid opening performance by Mandy Beers.
“The girls did a great job, a phenomenal job and it snowballed into the other events,” Battaglia said.
“I told the kids throughout the meet to not worry about the other teams. We never knew where we were in relation to Fremd. Not until after three events, which is when we found out we were in the lead.”
When the point total was announced, Prairie Ridge fans let out a shriek.
“The crowd reaction pumped us up and got us stoked up for the rest of the events,” Cowan said. “We kept hearing about how it was a close meet. I never thought we’d be beating them at any time during the day.”
But as has been the case all season, the day belonged to Fremd sophomore Katie Burke, who led the Vikings with an all-around title, just ahead of Barrington’s Lauren Magiera, and captured individual wins in the uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
What remains for Prairie Ridge are some nervous moments as the team hopes to be among the four at-large teams that make the state meet. That will be determined in sectional meets Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The best news comes with the possible return of Mitmoen for the state meet to go along with a healthier Cowan, as well as the rapid development of freshmen Kelsey Sherman and Alyssa Grobersko.
For the first time since the early weeks of the season, Prairie Ridge will field the full team it originally intended to have. The team hopes to make a dent in the team competition and bring more hardware back to Crystal Lake.
“Last year, our main goal was just to make it to state as a team,” Cowan said. “This year we’re more focused. This really means something.”
“As far as setting goals for next week, I’ll let the results fall into place,” Battaglia said.
“Our philosophy is that if you’re working four events, hit all four. If you’re hitting three, hit three. But if we go out and do the best we can do, and the kids focus on themselves and not get distracted by other teams, then it doesn’t matter where you end up. In my book you won.”
