Stevenson senior Lindsay Borkan left her mark on history Friday, repeating as state all-around winner with a record-setting score.
At the 28th annual state meet at Palatine, Borkan earned a score of 39.225, erasing the 39.175 record set by Fremd’s Mary-Anne Kelley in 1998 when she became a three-time all-around winner.
Borkan is the first gymnast to repeat since Kelley and the fourth overall. She has repeatedly stressed that the fate of the team outranks her success.
“It is exciting, but it is an individual thing,” she said. “I was not expecting to win or break any records. You go into the state meet knowing that if you do well for the team, you’ll do well for yourself. I’m happy with my performance.”
The Patriots scored 152.4, barely missing the state meet scoring record of 152.55 set by Fremd in ’98. The Patriots are poised to break the mark during event finals Saturday night.
Borkan won two individual titles as a freshman and then skipped her sophomore year to work on elite gymnastics skills. Last season she also won two individual titles.
A Penn State recruit, Borkan has scored more than 39 points several times this season. She has twice earned a perfect score during her career.
Conant finished second with a 151.175, allowing the Cougars to take home a trophy for the first time in school history. Warren, at 148.975, repeated as the third-place winner.
Conant freshman Allison Buckley was the runner-up in the all-around, earning a 38.925. Her sister, Jamie, a senior, finished third at 38.525.
Stevenson and Conant were dazzling on all four events, as the Patriots surpassed the impressive 150-point mark for the third straight year. The Cougars became the third team to achieve the feat.
Stevenson had to rally, trailing Conant by nearly three-tenths of a point after three rotations. While the Cougars were on the balance beam, the Patriots hit on floor exercise, tallying a 38.775 team score.
The event finals are Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Gymnasts from the eight competing teams can help improve their school’s scores. If a girl earns a higher score in an event, the difference is added to her team’s score.
Stevenson has 10 chances to improve its score, giving it a good chance of breaking the scoring record.
