It was hardly a disappointment that only one member of the championship team placed in the all-around.
Ethan Sansone was the only one who participated.
Sansone finished fourth (53.65) and Wheaton Warrenville South’s co-op received widespread contributions to claim the team title with 160.8 points.
Defending champion Lincoln-Way East was second with 157.45.
“We’ve said from the beginning, we do team gymnastics and depth is incredibly important,” Wheaton South coach Greg Gebhardt said. “Tonight it showed up. Some guys didn’t necessarily have great performances and other guys stepped up.
“We had some outstanding performances, and not just in scores. Guys who were in trouble finished routines out. That’s what you need to do in a championship meet.”
Gebhardt intimated that Sansone might have held back a little for the good of the team.
“Ethan was very selfless,” Gebhardt said. “He did the routines we needed even though the all-around was on the line.”
Second to one: Last year’s Ajani Cargle felt he could have done better, but the Lincoln-Way East senior didn’t seem upset about finishing second to freshman Alex Diab of Glenbard West.
Cargle’s all-around score of 56.35 matched his sectional score and was a .90 improvement over last year’s winning mark.
“I can always do better unless it’s a straight-up 60, but I feel I did my best,” Cargle said. “If I do my best, I’ll accept it whatever the outcome is.”
Cargle, whose 9.8 on the floor exercise was the top score posted in any event, could win multiple events Saturday.
He hopes to continue his career at Illinois-Chicago next year.
This and that: Palatine junior Jonah Hinz finished third with a 53.75. … Downers Grove North was the only school with two top-10 finishers (Luke Wychocki tied for sixth and Strahinja Sopcic was ninth). … Mundelein sophomore Colin McCarthy could be in the running in two events Saturday. He had a 9.65 in the floor exercise and a 9.55 in the vault during Friday’s all-around competition.
