Winter--2010-11--Results and Awards

02/19/2011 SCOUTS PLACE SECOND AT STATE-- CONGRATULATIONS!! Special Second Lake Forest Gymnasts take second at State, make history Power. Grace. Determination. Lake Forest High School’s girls gymnastics team used all of the above to take runner-up honors (148.45) at the state meet at Palatine Feb. 18-19. It was the best state finish in program history, supplanting the Scouts’ third-place showing at the 1985 meet. “Special,” Scouts coach Robin Straus said Saturday night. “This group was very, very special. They were calm, the whole team. And on both days. They didn’t do it with huge, huge scores, but they pulled it together.” Carmel (149.45) captured its second state championship in a row; Schaumburg finished third (147.8). A wow and an ow: Lake Forest sophomore Kyle Carlson nailed her floor-exercise routine at Saturday night’s finals session – with nine toenails. The nail on her left big toe had to be removed Saturday morning, after Carlson banged the toe while practicing on the balance beam Friday. Carlson didn’t show a hint of a wince on floor Saturday night, performing a superb runner-up routine (9.75). “Her best floor routine of the year,” said Straus. Added LF senior teammate Grace Kohlmaier: “Kylie is one of the most determined gymnasts I know. She didn’t even tell us how serious the injury she had was. She didn’t want that to faze us.” Two other Scouts advanced from Friday’s prelims to Saturday’s finals: sophomore Katherine McKeon and senior Melanie Foster. McKeon finished fourth on beam (9.425); Foster took 10th on beam (8.65). McKeon’s score was three-tenths of points higher than her prelim mark, meaning the improvement also upped LF’s team score Saturday night. McKeon, a club gymnast last winter, watched the state meet from Palatine High’s bleachers a year ago. It moved her. “It seemed so exciting, and then for me, to get to compete in this atmosphere, for such a great team … amazing,” she said. Junior Katie Meier and freshman Brittany Moccia also competed for the Scouts in Friday’s prelims. Meier calmed the team and set the tone with a standout 9.05 floor routine to start the evening. Moccia hit on all four events as an all-arounder, highlighted  with a sky-high vault and dramatic floor routine. “The highlight, for me?” said Moccia. “That I got to be a part of the best Lake Forest team ever.” McElite: McKeon finished an impressive seventh (37.15) in the all-around at the state meet Friday. Only one other sophomore, among all-arounders, fared better than McKeon did: Carmel’s Lauren Feely (4th, 37.525). “Huge,” Straus said. “Kat was huge for us, again. She was incredibly consistent, incredibly successful (throughout the state series – regional, sectional, state).” LF’s other all-around state qualifier, Carlson, wound up 20th (36.35). Friday results: Carlson and Foster each finished fifth in an event in Friday’s state prelims: Carlson, on floor (9.45); Foster, on beam (9.35). Other LF efforts: McKeon (10th place, beam, 9.125; 11th, uneven bars, 9.275); Carlson (12th-place tie, bars, 9.225; 22nd-place tie, vault, 9.45); and Kohlmaier (14th-place tie, vault, 9.525; 32nd, floor, 8.875). Hey, Miss DJ: Foster, who transferred from Texas to LFHS after her freshman year, plans to attend the University of Oklahoma and study broadcasting/media relations. “I’d like to work in radio, as a DJ,” she said. “Maybe at Top 40 station, or a country one. I like all different kinds of music.” Her favorite song, all-time: Steve Moakler’s “Favorite Pair of Eyes.” The end: Straus plans to retire from teaching (PE) after the 2010-11 academic year. Row, row, row your hair: Straus made a deal with her Scouts before the state meet: Finish in the top three, and she’d change her hair. Look for Straus to walk around with a 'cornrow’ do soon. Scouts sophomore Madeline Cleeff will be in charge of the transformation. 02/18/2011 Scouts Place 2nd at State After Friday-Night Events Standings: Carmel, first--148.875, Scouts, second--147.875, third, Schaumburg-- 147.350, fourth, Stevenson--146.7 02/15/2011 Happy Return Scouts to Make 4th State Appearance Lake Forest High School’s girls gymnastics team, eighth at state a year ago, will perform again as a team at this weekend’s state meet at Palatine High School. It will mark the fourth state appearance in program history. (LF finished eighth in the 1984, third in ’85.) Coach Robin Straus’ Scouts qualified as an at-large team, from the highly competitive Stevenson Sectional Feb. 7. They rank third – behind Stevenson and reigning state champ Carmel – among the eight team qualifiers. Carmel (151.6 points), Stevenson (148.925) and LF (147.6) went 1-2-3 at the Stevenson Sectional. Four Scouts – seniors Grace Kohlmaier and Melanie Foster and sophomores Katherine McKeon and Kylie Carlson – secured a combined 10 state individual berths. The sophs will perform as all-arounders; other members of LF’s state squad are junior Katie Meier and freshman Brittany Moccia. At state last year, Carlson finished runner-up on floor exercise (9.6) and as the top freshman all-arounder (7th place, 37.3). The state meet starts at 4:50 pm, Friday, with the Parade of Competitors. Prelims follow. Saturday’s finals session begins at 5:45 pm. 02/07/2011 Shining in Lincolnshire Lake Forest’s Scouts Place Sturdy Third at Daunting Sectional Their theme was “team” Monday night. Lake Forest High School’s gymnasts stuck with it throughout the Stevenson Sectional, easily the toughest sectional in the state. They stuck routines, too. “Together, we will do it,” said Scouts coach Robin Straus, referring to her pre-meet battle cry. “Together,” she added, “we did it.” Her Scouts, a state-qualifying team a year ago, finished third (147.6) on Monday, behind Stevenson (148.925) and reigning state champ Carmel Catholic (151.6). LF’s total should be good enough to earn an at-large state berth. But the squad will have to wait a few days before anything’s official. At-large state berths – team and individual – won’t be known until after the final sectional (Niles North, Feb. 10). “It wasn’t going to take one person, one big score,” Straus said. “Our big guns, at times tonight, didn’t get big scores. But that didn’t hurt us, because we had a bunch of 9.2s and 9.3s from our other valuable girls. “A total, total team effort,” she added. Sophomore Kat McKeon paced LF in the all-around, tying for seventh place (37.4). She tied for sixth place on the uneven bars (9.45) and took ninth on the balance beam (9.35). “Kat was rock solid, on all of her events,” Straus said. Scouts Melanie Foster and Kylie Carlson each landed an automatic (top 5) state berth Monday night. Foster, a senior captain, tied for fourth on beam, while Carlson, a sophomore, performed a fourth-place 9.525 floor show. “Mel is a great captain; she embodies the title so well,” said Carlson, 12th in the all-around (36.975) and 10th on vault (9.475). Senior Grace Kohlmaier catapulted to a team-best 9.5 (6th place) on vault. Freshman Brittany Moccia and junior Katie Meier also executed beautiful routines for LF Monday night.  Each are hoping to qualify at large on at least one event. “Our warm-up (routines) went great,” said LF assistant Z White, a Stevenson graduate. “After that, it was about working together, supporting each other. Each was there everybody. They were so together tonight.” Next flips: The state meet starts Feb. 18, at Palatine HS. 02/05/11 Moving Night… Scouts Advance at Rare Regional Normally, host teams at girls gymnastics regionals get to perform in a relatively relaxed atmosphere. They’re heavily favored to advance to a sectional, after all. Saturday night wasn’t normal. Lake Forest High School, because of all that snow earlier in the week, served as the stage for two regionals. Eight schools, instead of four, vied for Stevenson Sectional berths and competed concurrently. “This felt like a sectional meet, in some ways,” Lake Forest senior Grace Kohlmaier said. “At sectionals, you’re going up against a bunch of teams, not just a few. And that atmosphere at sectionals is usually crazy, really competitive. “This,” she added, “was good for us. We’ll be better prepared for the sectional.” LF’s Scouts were significantly better than the other three schools assigned to their regional, scoring 146.55 points to earn an automatic spot in the Stevenson Sectional on Feb. 7, beginning at 6:30 pm. Barrington finished second (139.45), followed by Deerfield (134.675) and Highland Park (109.15). Reigning state champion Carmel Catholic captured the other regional atop LF’s home mats Saturday, amassing 149.75 points. “This had the potential to be a tough, nail-biting meet for us,” said Scouts coach Robin Straus. “But the girls handled the atmosphere well. I was really pleased with how all of our kids performed. Really proud, too.” Her kids combined for 16 automatic (top 5) sectional berths and four at-large tickets. LF sophomores Kylie Carlson (37.35) and Kat McKeon (36.6) went 1-2 in the all-around; freshman teammate Brittany Moccia took third (35.875). Carlson also topped the vault (9.4), balance beam (9.175) and floor exercise (9.475) fields. She had familiar company – Kohlmaier – on the highest podium step when she collected the vault gold medal. Kohlmaier halted a streak Saturday night. She had fallen on her first vault at each of the last two regionals. She stayed upright twice at her final regional. “It was nice, landing both. Finally,” she said after her 9.4. Mel-velous: LF’s other senior in the state series, Mel Foster, silvered on beam (9.1) and finished fourth on bars (9.1). Lead-off gymnasts typically don’t nail a team’s No. 2 score in an event, but that’s exactly what Foster did on beam. “Mel? I love everything about Mel,” Straus said. “She’s a no-nonsense kid, a gymnast who has the perfect temperament for this sport. Mel never gets too rattled. You know what else is great about her? She gets the whole big picture, when it comes to gymnastics and competing.” Kohlmaier lauded Foster’s bars show. “She looked sharp, really sharp, on every one of her moves,” Kohlmaier said. “Mel hit her handstand, and her double-back was huge.” Kat can do: McKeon swung to a first-place 9.325 on bars, ahead of Carlson (2nd, 9.3). What that meant: LF earned all five individual gold medals at its regional; Carmel’s Corsairs, who would have used LF’s gym to host a regional Feb. 3 had the weather cooperated, ended up with a pair of individual golds at “their” regional on Saturday. High 5s: LF’s other automatic berths Saturday night: Moccia (2nd, floor, 9.25; 3rd, vault, 9.275); junior Katie Meier (3rd, beam, 9.025); and McKeon (4th, floor, 9.175; 4th, beam, 8.975). The cuts: Wondering what the Stevenson Sectional at-large cut-off scores were? Wonder no more: All-around: 33.65. Vault: 9.05. Bars: 8.725. Beam: 8.725 Floor: 8.825. At-large Scouts: Four Scouts each garnered one at-large sectional berth Saturday: McKeon (vault, 9.125), Moccia (beam, 8.925), Kohlmaier (floor, 9.025) and Meier (floor, 8.85). She’s asking: “Will the top five teams (at the Stevenson Sectional) all make it to state? That’s the question.” – Straus, on the talented-loaded sectional. Four sectional champs and four at-large teams advance to state. All four at-large squads could come out of one sectional. That would be something. Something else.
01/28/11 North Suburban Conference Girls' Gymnastics Meet Scouts’ Focus turns to State as Conference Season Ends A Kat batted 1.000 at the North Suburban Conference Girls Gymnastics Meet Friday night, at Vernon Hills HS, hitting all four of her routines and finishing third in the all-around (37.25). Kat McKeon, a Lake Forest sophomore, took runner-up honors on the balance beam (9.5) and fifth on vault (9.45). The first year Scout also placed sixth on floor exercise (9.2) and eighth on the uneven bars (9.1). But Stevenson slugged a few more “homers” than LF did to successfully defend its team title. The Pats scored 149.5 points to runner-up LF’s 146.925. LF also silvered at last year’s conference meet. “A ‘hiccup.’ We had a ‘hiccup’ as a team tonight,” Scouts gymnastics coach Robin Straus admitted, nearly a week after her club captured the Niles West Invite. “Not our best night. We wanted it; we really wanted to win conference.” Several Scouts performed sterling routines. McKeon looked sharp at the six-team gathering, particularly on beam. She nailed her split-jump back-tuck. “I stayed on,” said McKeon, beaming and displaying relief at the same time. “That’s always the goal on beam." “All I wanted to do, all night,” she added, “was to do my best and help my team.” LF’s Kylie Carlson, another soph, shook off falls in a couple of events – the team’s middle two – and showed steely resolve on her second vault (6th place, 9.425). Her smile, after landing cleanly, blinded more than a few folks. “With that vault, she showed what kind of a competitor she is,” said Straus. “This sport is tough. You’re going to fall sometimes. It’s so important to get up, dust yourself off and then focus on the next routine.” Carlson had earned a team-best 9.4 (3rd place) on bars, the Scouts’ first event Friday. Senior Mel Foster chipped in with a sixth-place 9.2. Senior Grace Kohlmaier tied for third place on vault (9.5), and freshman teammate Brittany Moccia tumbled and danced her way to a 9.35 (4th place) on floor.  Take a bow I: Straus was named NSC Coach of the Year Friday night photo courtesy of Carole McKeon “She’s awesome,” McKeon said. “I love her, and I love the way she gathers all of us and talks to us after each event. She always has something positive to say about each of us, after we sit and form a circle. A great coach.” Take a bow II: A gymnast from each school received a special  award at the NSC Meet. The NSC Sportsmanship Award, initiated this year by the conference’s Athletic Directors, was presented to Kylie Carlson as LF’s inaugural recipient. Next: The Scouts run to State begins by hosting a regional meet Feb. 2, beginning at 6:30 pm. Other schools in the field: Deerfield, Barrington and Highland Park. Team and individual qualifiers advance to the Stevenson Sectional on February 7. 01/28/11 JV Scouts Finish Second at Prairie-Lake Invite On Saturday the JV Scouts finished the season with a strong second-place finish at the Prairie Lake Invite held at Lake Forest.  On VAULT, the Scouts finished in 3rd-6th place. Christine Andersen led the Scouts with a 3rd place finish. Caroline Kelner was 4th with her best vault of the season. She was followed by Madeline Cleeff--5th place and Rachel Sieb--6th place. On BARS, Madeline had her season high score and best routine of the season. She placed 5th. Rachel was 8th and Christine was 10th. On BALANCE BEAM, the Scouts were very strong. Senior Rachel Sieb was the beam champion with a solid score of 8.1. She was followed by Madeline, who finished in 3rd and Caroline, who placed 4th. On FLOOR, the Scouts continued to be impressive. Caroline Kelner, who sprained her ankle in warm-ups, led the team with her beautiful dance and tumbling. She came in 2nd with a score of 8.4. Madeline excelled again and finished in 3rd with a score of 8.3. In ALL-AROUND, Madeline was the all-around champion with a score of 32.25. Rachel was 5th and Christine finished in 8th place. Senior Hannah Mattson had 2 strong performances on beam and floor. Freshman Brooke Riewer had her season-best performances on beam and floor. She competed on vault as well. Freshman Kyra Burkestuck her beam routine and contributed a strong performance on floor. Congrats to the JV Scouts, who had an amazing undefeated dual-meet 5-0 season. In addition, they won the Holiday Quad, Libertyville Invite and finished 2nd at the Stevenson and Prairie Lake Invites. Way to go!   01/24/11 Lake Forest 149.55 - Mundelein 134.85 LF hit the road for its final NSC dual. It returned home – after hitting a slew of routines. And making some history. The Scouts amassed a program-best 149.55 points in their defeat of host Mundelein (134.85). They rocked on vault, accumulating a season-high 38.35 points. Carlson topped the vault field with a 9.7 launch, followed by Moccia (9.65, 2nd), Kohlmaier (9.6, 3rd) and McKeon (9.4, 4th). Carlson and Moccia tied for first place on floor (9.6s). Kohlmaier performed a 9.5 show. Straus, on Carlson’s 9.6: “Gorgeous.” Straus, on Moccia’s 9.6: “Beautiful.” Moccia, on the beam: Fantastic. She piloted a superb flight series en route to a 9.7, tying junior Katie Meier for the school record in the event. Carlson (9.5) and McKeon (9.3) went 1-2 on bars. The all-around standings? All Scouts, at the top: Carlson (37.7), Moccia (37.65) and Kohlmaier (personal-best 37) . Straus and her Scouts declined to celebrate their team record afterward . “Celebrate? We went back to work,” Straus recalled Friday night at the NSC Meet at Vernon Hills. “Back to work to get ready for this meet.”
01/22/11 It’s Reigning Scouts: LF captured the Niles West Invite with a 72.725-point effort, ahead of runner-up Stevenson (68.25) and Fenton (3rd place, 67.275). Only two gymnasts from each team performed in each event. Moccia (9.7) and Kohlmaier (9.45), fittingly, went 1-2 on vault; Foster and sophomore Kat McKeon tied for runner-up honors (9.1s) on the uneven bars; Moccia danced and tumbled her way to second on floor (9.15); and Carlson placed seventh on floor (8.925) to match Scouts junior Katie Meier’s place on the balance beam (8.9). Moccia nailed her layout Yurchenko vault. “Beautiful vault,” Straus said. “And powerful. She’s all power.” Soar spots: LF was dominant on vault against VH last week. Kohlmaier  and Moccia landed first-place 9.6s, and McKeon and Carlson each contributed a 9.5. “Kind of cool, two 9.6s and two 9.5s,” Straus said. Kohlmaier, a two-time state qualifier on vault, supplanted her previous personal-best vault mark (9.55) from last season. “Her vault is so much bigger than it was last year,” Straus noted. “To pull off what she did, you need to run fast, be strong on the block, get good air time.” The Scouts also excelled on the balance beam, led by Foster (9.4) and Carlson (9.4). McKeon took third (9.0), followed by Moccia (8.95), Kohlmaier (8.85) and Meier (8.85). Moccia paced LF’s floor shows, scoring a meet-best 9.4. McKeon silvered on bars (9.35). Four of the meet’s top five all-arounders wear royal blue and gold: McKeon (1st, 9.263), Carlson (2nd, 9.175), Foster (4th, 9.088) and Moccia (5th, 9.05). “All in all, a very nice Senior Meet,” Straus said. LF sported Cat in the Hat costumes, and guess who got to wear a red-and-white knit hat? None other than a Kat – Kat McKeon. Many of the other Scouts wore kiddie pajamas before the start of the invite. Next: LF visits Mundelein Monday (Jan. 24, 6 pm) and competes Friday (Jan. 28) at the NSC Invite at Vernon Hills, beginning at 5:30 pm. “That will be Step 1, toward state,” Coach Straus said of the conference meet. “One of our major goals is to win conference. But our season, as it is for a lot of teams, is all about doing what you need to do in the state series and to get on the podium at state.” 01/19/11 Lake Forest 148 - Vernon Hills 127 It was raining teardrops at Lake Forest High School’s gym last week. LF’s girls gymnastics team hosted Vernon Hills on its Senior Night Jan. 19. Young Scouts had prepared speeches for five seniors. After the meet, a 148-127 LF victory, senior Grace Kohlmaier stood as she listened to freshman Brittany Moccia orate about Grace Kohlmaier. “She started crying after one line,” Kohlmaier said. The one line, which also was the first line: “I’ve known Grace since I was 6.” “I also ended up crying during the speech,” added Kohlmaier, a co-captain. Sophomore Kylie Carlson delivered a speech all about senior Melanie Foster. Foster then returned the favor, to a considerably smaller audience (a handful of teammates, an inquisitive scribbler), after the Niles West Dr. Seuss Invite Jan 22. “Kylie is younger than I am, but I look up to her, respect her so much,” said Foster, also a co-captain. “She’s so mature, and she carries herself incredibly well in this sport.” They’ll be talking about senior Caroline Kelner’s floor performance for years, maybe decades. Kelner changed her floor music for Senior Night, from a salsa tune to the “It’s Raining Men” song. She first practiced to the new beat on Jan. 21 – or Senior Night Eve. “We were all laughing hysterically,” Foster recalled. “But she also did a great job. It was a memorable moment on Senior Night.” LF seniors Hannah Mattson and Rachel Sieb also were honored Jan 19. The JV finished the night in first with a season high score of 95.45 to 71.5 for Vernon Hills. Madeline Cleeff led the way. 01/15/11 Scouts Gymnasts at Lake County Cubs, finally, won it all. Atop gymnastics mats. Lake Forest High School’s girls gymnastics team, along with Barrington’s and the schools’ JVers, captured the “pool” segment at Saturday afternoon’s Lake County Meet at Stevenson. The theme of the meet was “Chicago pro sports teams.” LF gymnasts and their pool mates marched in wearing Chicago Cubs jerseys and caps. “Maybe this is a good sign,” said LF Scouts coach Robin Straus, alluding to the North Siders’ 102-year World Series championship drought. “Lovable losers pulled it out!” The serious segment: LF’s varsity scored a sturdy third-place 147.7 points on Saturday, behind reigning state champ Carmel (149.35) and defending County champ Stevenson (150.4). The Scouts’ total ranks No. 2 in their 2010-11 season. “But our score today (Saturday) was more indicative of who we are,” said Straus, adding the judging was tougher than when LF hit for a season-high 148 at a meet last month. “We had a really good meet, against stiff competition. I was really happy. You look at the schools competing – Stevenson, Carmel, us, Libertyville. Four high-scoring teams, right there. “It was intense,” she added. My oh Meier: Scouts junior Katie Meier performed a school-record 9.7 to win the balance beam Saturday, sticking her flip-flop tuck back. The old mark was 9.6. “She nailed it,” Straus gushed. “Before the season one of her goals was to make our Top 10 board. She had made that before this meet (on floor exercise), but floor scoring that day was scored high. She truly earned the beam score (Saturday), and it was the Top 10 she really wanted. She’ll continue to work that routine, polish it. She wants to be consistent with it.” KC and the Sunshine efforts: LF sophomore Kylie Carlson sparkled again on Saturday, tying Stevenson’s Ali Castriano for first place on floor (9.65) and taking fourth in the all-around (37.5). LF had to go first on floor, meaning Carlson’s mark held up against a wealth of talented gymnasts. Carlson landed the first double-back of the meet. “Floor, as a team, is one of our strengths, so ideally you don’t want to show those routines early in a meet,” Straus said. “But I’m glad our girls got to compete in the rotation we were given, because you never know the order you’re going to have to deal with in (the state series).” The Scouts’ other floor scores: freshman Brittany Moccia (9.45), sophomore Katherine McKeon (9.15), Meier (8.95), senior Melanie Foster (8.6). Meier served as the lead-off Scout on the event. “Beautiful routines, all five of them,” said Straus. “Score-wise, Katie Meier’s floor wasn’t her best of the season, but it was the best from my view. Katie set such a good tone for us.” Great Britt: Moccia paced LF on vault with a 9.7 (5th place), followed by Carlson (9.6, 6th) and McKeon (9.3, 14th). Senior Grace Kohlmaier contributed a 9.0, a smidge ahead of Foster’s 8.9. Bar raisers: Foster and McKeon each unveiled an upgraded gig on the uneven bars Saturday. McKeon scored a 9.3 (8th place), and Foster toed her way to a 9.05 (11th). “Both hit,” said Straus. “The changes they made – those are going to help us in the long run.” Carlson tied her season-best  mark on bars (9.4, 5th). LF also counted Moccia’s 8.8. “I was very happy with Kylie’s score; she needed that,” Straus added. “She had put in a new skill on bars before the start of the season.” Sweet 16s: Moccia and Kohlmaier tied for 16th place on beam with 8.9s. Moccia ended up 10th in the all-around (36.8), one spot ahead of McKeon (11th, 36.15). Two firsts: LF recorded season-best team aggregates on vault and bars Saturday. Flashback: LF finished second at the Lake County Meet last winter, tallying 145.75 to edge third-place Carmel (145.725). Stevenson topped the field with a 146.75. Zzzzzzzz quote: LF’s JV squad, led by sophomore Madeline Cleeff (4th in all-around, 1st on beam) and senior Rachel Sieb (9th in all-around and 9th on beam), took runner-up honors at Stevenson in a 14-team gathering the night before the Lake County Meet. The other strong JV competitors were Caroline Kelner and Christine Andersen “A lot of cross-eyed, tired coaches were walking around the gym (on Saturday),” Straus said. “Our vault boards? They slept over on Friday night.” Next up: LF hosts Vernon Hills on its senior night Wednesday, beginning at 6 p.m. The Scouts’ seniors: Foster, Kohlmaier, Hannah Mattson, Caroline Kelner and Rachel Sieb. Straus’ club then heads to Niles West for an invite on Saturday. The theme of that meet: Dr. Seuss.  LF will have to transition from Cubs caps to Cat hats.
01/08/11 - Lake Forest Invitational On Saturday night, the Lake Forest Scouts hosted a 12-team invitational. This meet showcases many of the state’s best teams and individuals. The Scouts finished the evening in 3rd place--just behind Lyons and Carmel. The team also raised money for breast cancer awareness.
The Scouts may have been a bit rusty on Saturday evening as a team, but still managed a few outstanding individual performances. Junior Katie Meier was the beam champion with her 9.55 performance. This score also places her on the top-10 record board. Freshman Brittany Moccia was rock solid on vault, bars and beam. Even though she bobbled on floor she placed as well. Brittany finished the evening 5th on vault with a score of 9.65, 7th on bars with a 9.2, 7th on all around, 14th beam and 15th on floor. Senior Melanie Foster contributed 3 strong performances on vault, bars and beam. Melanie finished 9th on bars with a score of 9.1 Sophomore Kylie Carlson struggled a bit on Saturday, but she placed 5th on floor with a 9.3, 9th on vault with a 9.45, and 10th in the all-around. Sophomore Katherine McKeon, who was battling illness all week, finished her evening with a strong performance on floor and placed 11th. Senior Grace Kohlmaier also contributed to the team score by competing her new vault. In addition she competed on bars and floor. Next up for the Scouts will be a JV invitational held at Stevenson on Friday night. The varsity will follow on Saturday with the Lake County Invitational. That meet will also be at Stevenson on Saturday at 12:00. Hope to see you there.
01/06/11 On Thursday the Scouts began the new year by defeating the Blue Devils from Warren in their first meet after winter break. The Scouts scored a 145.2 to win the meet.   New skills were attempted for the first time, and the Scouts used this meet as a tune up for Saturday’s invitational. The team had a solid night.  Grace Kohlmaier competed a new vault and scored a 9.2.  Kylie Carlson had a solid night and all-around performance. She danced her way to a 9.6 on floor.  Brittany Moccia led the team on beam with a 9.15 and tumbled her way to a 9.4 on floor.  Melanie Foster also had a solid all-around performance, and stood out on bars where she scored her season-high score with a 9.2.  Battling illness, Kat McKeon contributed to the team score on both bars and beam.  Katie Meier  led the team in new tricks thrown in the meet.  She threw 3 new skills on beam and upgraded one tumbling pass.  Both scores contributed to the team score. The JV Scouts continued on a roll with their season-high team score of  95.15.  Madeline Cleeff, Rachel Sieb, and Christine Anderson all had good all-around performances to help lead the Scouts to a win.  Caroline Kelner also contributed to the team score on vault, beam, and floor. Caroline’s new back handspring on beam was a highlight for the Scouts.  Brooke Riewer vaulted well, while Krya Burke and Hannah Mattson danced through beautiful beam and floor routines to round out the performances for the Scouts.
12/17/10 - LAKE FOREST HOLIDAY QUAD The meet was a combination competition and informal alumni reunion featuring team highlight videos and pictures from previous years to commemorate Coach Robin Straus' 32 seasons as Lake Forest High School's gymnastics coach. Coach Straus will be retiring at the end of this season.  Over all it was a great night for both Varsity and JV.  Varsity finished the night in first place with a new score record.  The new record stands at 148.6. Individually the Scout gymnasts had a great night.  Kylie Carlson took home three 1st-place finishes.  Kylie won vault (9.8), floor (9.8--NEW SCHOOL RECORD) and all-around (37.5).  Katherine Mckeon added two 1st  place finishes on bars (9.3) and beam (9.4).  Brittany Moccia had a pair of 2nd place finishes for the night.  Brittany finished 2nd on vault (9.65) and floor (9.7).  Melanie Foster finished 2nd on bars (9.1) and 3rd on floor (9.6).  Katie Meier finished 2nd on beam (9.15) and 3rd on floor (9.6). Grace Kohlmaier made her season debut on floor, scoring a 9.4, in addition to strong performances on bars and beam. On the JV side the girls also had a great night.  The team had their season high total with a   score of 94.65.  The girl’s finished in 1st place.  Madeline Cleeff led the Scouts with four 1st place finishes.  Madeline won vault, beam, floor and all around.   Christine Anderson finished the night with a pair of 4th places (vault, bars) and a 3rd place (all-around).  Caroline Kelner had two solid performances on beam and floor.  Caroline placed 2nd on both of those events.   Rachel Sieb had a pair of 5th places finishes (bars, floor), a 3rd place finish (beam) and a 2nd place finish in the all-around.  Brooke Riewer had strong showing on vault and beam. Kyra Burke also had solid performances on beam and floor. Hannah Mattson danced her way through a beautiful floor routine. The night was also special because many of the alumni stopped by to help celebrate Coach Straus’s many years as a coach.  Thank you to all those that stopped by! Upcoming meets: Thursday, January 6, against Warren and the Lake Forest Invitational on Saturday, January 8, at 6 pm--featuring 12 teams. The team will be raising money for breast cancer.
12/11/10 - CONANT INVITE

CONANT VARSITY INVITATIONAL
On Saturday the Varsity Scouts competed in the Conant Invite.  The team competed very well and finished in 2nd place out of 10 teams, with a score of 109.95. Carmel came in first. In this meet only 4 gymnasts compete per event with 3 scores counting toward the team total rather than 4.

The Scouts started strong on VAULT--hitting 4 for 4 vaults.  Katherine McKeon finished in 10th place with a score of 9.2, while Brittany Moccia  finished 4th with a score of 9.55.  Kylie Carlson took home the gold with a 9.85, which ties her for the top all-time vault scores in LF history.

On BARS, Katherine McKeon  finished 4th with a 9.1.  Melanie Foster, who was nursing a sore back, finished in 8th with an 8.7 and Brittany Moccia  finished in 14th with an 8.5.

On BEAM, Kylie finished 6th with a 9.2 while teammate Brittany finished 7th with her 1st 9.0 of the season on beam. Kat finished 13th with an 8.7.

On FLOOR, all four of the Scouts placed in the top 15.  Kylie placed 2nd with a beautiful 9.7 routine. Brittany finished 7th with a 9.25 while Kat finished in 10th with a 9.15.  Katie rounded out the group with a 14th place finish with an 8.9.

In the ALL AROUND, Kylie finished 3rd, Brittany finished 5th and Kat finished 6th.

Next up for the Scouts will be the Star is Born meet on Thursday, December 16, at Niles West.
On Friday, December 17, the Scouts will be home for our annual holiday quad meet against Deerfield, Rolling Meadows and Carmel’s JV squad.  Hope to see you all there!

12/10/10
LIBERTYVILLE JV INVITE
On Friday the JV Scouts traveled to Libertyville for the JV invite.  They had a very successful night--taking home the 1st place trophy out of 6 teams.  The Scouts also added first-place finishes in every event!

On VAULT, Madeline Cleeff  placed 1st, while Christine Andersen finished in 6th place.  On BARS, Rachel Sieb placed 1st, Madeline Cleeff finished 5th and Christine Andersen finished 7th.  On BEAM, Madeline and Rachel finished 1-2.  Christine finished 6th.  On FLOOR, Madeline and Rachel added another 1-2 finish while Christine added another 6th place.  In the ALL-AROUND competition, the Scouts had three competitors in the top 5.  Madeline was 1st, Rachel was 2nd and Christine was 5th.

Brooke Riewer  had a pair of great vaults, while Kyra Burke upgraded her difficulty on floor and competed on beam as well.

12/08/10
LF VS. STEVENSON
This week started with a conference dual meet at Stevenson on Wednesday. The Scouts broke the all-time team score record set by last year's team.  Unfortunately, the Scouts lost to Stevenson by one point.   The new school  record for the Scouts  is 146.75.

 The Scouts also broke the all-time record for floor total.  The girls shattered the 37.5 set last year and scored a 38.25. 

Melanie Foster, Katie Meier, Katherine McKeon,  Brittany Moccia,  and Kylie Carlson made up this strong floor team.  All the girls scored in the 9's.  The girls also had a strong showing on vault.  Katherine, Melanie and Grace Kohlmaier all had solid performances on bars.  While on beam Katie, Brittany and Katherine were all solid.

On the JV side, the team is now 2-0 in conference duals.  The JV Scouts beat the Pats by 2 points.  Rachel Sieb, Madeline Cleeff, and Christine Andersen had solid all-around performances.  Kyra Burke added pretty routines on beam and floor, while Brooke Riewer added strong performances on vault and beam.

12/04/10
Rolling Meadows Invite

The Varsity Scouts came in 2nd place out of 18 teams--finishing just behind the State Champion Corsairs from Carmel.  At this invite only two gymnast compete on each event.  The Scouts had many top-ten finishers.  On bars, Katherine McKeon placed 1st and Mel Foster placed 10th. Kylie Carlson placed 5th on floor and Katie Meier placed 5th on beam.  Madeline Cleeff placed 7th on vault.  Brittany Moccia, Christine Anderson, and Grace Kohlmaier all gave valiant efforts en route to the second place finish.

The Scouts will travel to Stevenson Wednesday, December 8.  The meet begins at 6:00 pm.
Friday, December 9, the JV Scouts will be at the Libertyville JV invite.
On Saturday, December 10, the Varsity Scouts will compete at the Conant Invitational at 12:00
Hope to see you there.

12/01/10
The Lake Forest Scouts started the season off with a strong showing at this year’s home opener.  The Scouts defeated conference opponent Libertyville with a score of 145.65.  This score ranks second on the top-10 team scores record board. 

The Varsity Scouts were lead by returning gymnasts Melanie Foster, Katie Meier, and Kylie Carlson.  The rookies, Katherine McKeon and Brittany Moccia were solid all-around performers for the Scouts.  Katherine started the season with a strong showing on bars--scoring a 9.6.  This ties her for the top spot on the all-time record board.  Brittany Moccia and Kylie Carlson tied for 1st on vault.  This places Brittany on the top-10 record board as well.  Kylie added  1st place finishes on floor, beam and all around.  Mel Foster and Katie Meier were strong performers on all of  their events.  Captain Grace Kohlmaier did not compete against Libertyville as she is recovering from walking pneumonia.  She will make her debut on Saturday.
 
The JV Scouts turned in a team score of 94.1.  The Scouts had strong performances by returning gymnasts Caroline Kelner, Rachel Sieb, and Madeline Cleeff.  The JV rookies-- Christine Andersen, Hannah Mattson, Brooke Riewer, and Kyra Burke--also competed well.  Rachel had a first place finish on bar while Madeline and Caroline tied for first on floor.  Christine finished second on vault.  Hannah, Brooke, and Kyra did a stellar job in their first gymnastics meet.

Winter--2009-10--Results and Awards

02/20/10

State Meet Results:
Congratulations to the Scouts as they finished the season in 8th place in the state!
Lake Forest freshman Kylie Carlson was second on floor exercise (9.60) to Prairie Ridge’s Jenny Covers (9.625) and seventh in the all-around.
Vault: Ofelia Carmichael (Lake Forest) placed 9th with a 9.275.
Ashley Smith, Mel Foster, Grace Kohlmaier, Katie Meier and Carolina Carmichael also competed.
Congratulations also to Robin Straus on her induction into the IHSA Hall of Fame for gymnastics coaches!

Next up is the banquet. The date has been changed to MONDAY, MARCH 8. More details to follow.

Partial State Meet results for 02/19/10

02/09/10
On Tuesday 2/9 the Scouts competed as a team in sectionals at Stevenson high school. The sectional was one of 4 held during the week. The winning team of each sectional automatically qualifies to state along with the next 4 highest team scores. The Scouts finished 3rd out of 6 teams and scored 144.85 points, just behind Prairie Ridge and Carmel.

Congratulations to Kylie Carlson who placed First on BARS, Third on FLOOR and Fifth place on ALL AROUND. As a ranked qualifier on those events, she automatically qualified for state.

Congratulations to Ofelia Carmichael as she scored a 9.55 on VAULT and finished third. She too automatically qualified to state. The Scouts then waited until Thursday night to find out if they would qualify as a team and if other gymnasts would qualify as individuals as well.

Congratulations to the Scouts, who will be competing at the State meet as a team on Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20. In addition, the Scouts qualified 6 more routines.

Congrats to Grace Kohlmaier who qualified on VAULT, Ashley Smith qualified on BEAM,
Mel Foster qualified on BEAM and Kylie Carlson qualified on VAULT and BEAM.

The State meet will be held at Palatine High School. On Friday, February 19, Vault and Bars will be in the first session at 12:30. Beam and floor will be in the evening session which begins at 6:30. Finals will be held on Saturday 2/20 at 6:30 pm. Tickets will be on sale at the athletic office on Wed. 2/17 and Thurs. 2/18.

02/02/10
Congratulations to the Lake Forest Scouts as they won  their first regional plaque in 10 years on Tuesday night.   Not only did the team win but they won with a new season and record board high score.  The Scouts scored a 146.4 to take the title and qualify to Sectionals held at Stevenson High school on Tuesday, February 9th.

Regionals is the first step in the state series.  The top 5 qualifiers on each event move on to the sectional meet as ranked qualifiers.  After all the regionals have competed the next 12 highest scores from all the regionals will also move on to the sectional meet.

Kylie Carlson had a strong night by finishing in 1st place on all five events.  She won VAULT with a score of 9.425, BARS with a 9.225, and BEAM with 9.575.  On FLOOR Kylie came away with both a regional title and top record board score of 9.75.  In the ALL AROUND Kylie finished with a 37.975.

Ofelia Carmichael had a great meet after coming off an ankle injury.  She finished the night with a 3rd place on VAULT scoring 9.325, 5th on BARS with an 8.85 and a pair of 2nd places.  She finished 2nd on FLOOR with a 9.2 and 2nd in the ALL AROUND with a 36.25.  She had a solid beam routine that just missed top 5 but should make it to sectionals at-large.

Ashley Smith finished 4th in ALL AROUND with a 35.925.  Her highest finish came on FLOOR where she placed 3rd with a 9.05.  Ashley also had a pair of 5th places, one on VAULT (8.975) and the other on BEAM (9.125).

 Grace Kohlmaier had a pair of powerful performances.  She finished the night 4th on VAULT (9.1) and 4th on FLOOR (8.925).

Mel Foster had two stellar performances of the night.  The first came on BARS where she placed 4th with an 8.875.  She ended the night with a stuck BEAM routine and 3rd place finish with a 9.15.

Carolina Carmichael had strong performances on both VAULT and BARS.  She should qualify on both of those events at large.  That will be determined Friday night at the conclusion for the final regional.

Katie Meier had two steady lead-off routines for the night.  She started the team off great on both BEAM and FLOOR.  Katie finished 6th on both of those events and just missed being a ranked qualifier.  She too will have to wait till Friday to hear the final word.

Next up is Sectionals at Stevenson.  Hope to see you there at 6:30

01/30/10
On Saturday, the JV Scouts took the floor at the Prairie/ Lake Invite.  The Scouts came away with the 1st place trophy. Congrats to the JV Scouts as they finished undefeated in the conference.     

The team started the meet on BARS.  Madeline Cleeff finished  1st with a 8.05.  Brittany Sacco finished in 2nd, with a 7.95.  Jordan Riewer and Devin Shannon also finished in the top 10.  Rachel Sieb had a great routine and just missed placing.

On BEAM--Madeline placed 2nd with an 8.1.  Brittany placed 6th with a 7.8.  Caroline Kelner placed 8th with a 7.6 and Devin finished 10th with a 7.55.  Jordan, Gwen Hardy and Rachel all had strong finishes and just missed placing. 

On FLOOR-- Madeline finish in 1st with an 8.35.  Caroline placed 3rd with an 8.1.  Devin and Brittany finished in the top 10. 

On VAULT-- the team broke a school event record by scoring a 26.65.  Lake Forest finished 1-2-3 in the standings.  Jordan (1st), Devin (2nd), and Madeline (3rd) were the top award winners.  In addition Caroline, Brittany, and Rachel all finished in the top 10.  Gwen just missed placing but had her season-best score.

Congratulations to Erica Deegan-- voted the JV Coach of the Year.

01/28/10
On Thursday the Varsity Scouts competed in the North Suburban Conference meet.  This meet included Stevenson, Lake Forest, Warren, Libertyville, Mundelein and Vernon Hills.  The Scouts finished second with a 143.75, just 4 tenths behind the first-place Patriots. 

The team started the night off on BARS. Kylie Carlson set a new school record with a 9.65. She placed 2nd.  Mel Foster scored her season high of a 9.4 which will place her on the record board.  The team had its highest event total of the season with strong showings from Carolina Carmichael and Grace Kohlmaier.

On BEAM--Kylie placed 3rd with a 9.45.  Katie Meier also stuck her routine and just missed placing in the top 5 with an 8.65.  Ashley Smith also just missed placing with an 8.55. 

On FLOOR--Kylie came home the conference champion with a 9.6.  Ashley Smith had a strong showing on floor scoring 8.9.  Grace also had a great night with a 8.85.

On VAULT-- the team also had a very strong showing.  Kylie placed 2nd with a 9.65,and Carolina Carmichael placed 4th with a 9.25.  Grace, Katie, and Ashley all had strong showings.

In the ALL AROUND--Kylie became the Conference champion with a 38.3.  That is also a new school record.  At the end of the night Coach Straus was awarded the Conference Coach of the Year. Congratulations!!

Next up---Regionals on Tuesday at Lake Forest at 6:30.  Hope to see you there!

01/25/10
On Monday the Scouts hosted senior night against a very strong Carmel team.  The Scouts have 4 seniors on the team this year.  They are Ashley Smith, Jordan Riewer, Gwen Hardy and Brittany Sacco.  All 4 girls competed very well on Monday, and all will be missed next season.  We would really like to thank them for all they have done over the past 4 seasons.

Congrats to the JV team who finished the dual meet season undefeated.  The Varsity lost to Carmel, but have 2 more chances against them soon in the state series.

Next up is the Varsity Conference Meet.  It will be at Stevenson on Thursday night at 6:30 pm

The JV conference meet will be held at Vernon Hills on Saturday, January 30, at 11 am.

01/23/10
On Saturday, January 23, the Varsity team competed in the 20-team Niles West Invitational. 2 gymnasts competed on each event.

The Scouts finished in 3rd place.  Congratulations to Kylie Carlson on her 1st place victory on FLOOR EXERCISE .  Kylie scored a 9.65.

Congrats to Grace Kohlmaier on her 3rd place finish on VAULT.

Congrats to the whole team as they won the important Candyland march-in contest.

01/20/10
Varsity results:
Lake Forest 143.95 - Libertyville 142.15
JV results:
Lake Forest 100.7 - Libertyville 77.7
The JV score is the highest season total for the JV and the highest JV team score in the history of LF gymnastics.

01/16/10
The weekend finished with two strong second-place finishes for the Lake Forest Scouts!

On Friday the JV Scouts competed in the 15-team Stevenson JV Invite.  They came in second with a 97.828.  This is also a season high for the JV Scouts.  On VAULT, all five vaulters finished in the top 10.  Madeline Cleeff finished in 3rd with an 8.8 followed by Jordan Riewer in 4th with an 8.7, and Devin Shannon in 5th with a 8.625.  Brittany Sacco finished in 7th with an 8.55 and Caroline Kelner finished 10th with an 8.425.

Devin Shannon added a 1st-place finish on BEAM with an 8.2 and a 4th-place finish in the ALL- AROUND with a 32.275.  Madeline Cleeff finished a solid 6th place on BEAM and 8th in the ALL-AROUND.

Caroline Kelner had strong showings on BEAM and FLOOR, placing 7th and 9th in those events.  Brittany Sacco had a pair of 10th places finishes on BARS and FLOOR.   Jordan Riewer just missed finishing in the top 10 on bars but had a great routine.

Gwen Hardy had another strong showing on beam.  Rachel Sieb preformed a solid routine on floor.

On Saturday the varsity Scouts took on all 8 teams from Lake County.  The eight teams included conference opponents Stevenson, Warren, Libertyville, Mundelein, Vernon Hills.  In addition to the conference teams, Carmel, Barrington, and Deerfield were all there.

Lake Forest finished in 2nd place with a 145.75, which is the second highest score of the season and third time the Scouts have scored at least 145 this season. Stevenson won the meet and Carmel was just behind the Scouts in 3rd place.

On VAULT, Carolina Carmichael started the team off well with a strong vault that scored a 9.1.  Kylie Carlson added a 3rd place finish with a 9.55.  Ofelia Carmichael came home the Lake County vault champion with a record board high score of 9.85. 

On BARS, Ashley Smith just missed placing in the top 10 with a season high of a 9.0.  Mel Foster earned her way on the record board with a 9.25 and 6th-place finish in the meet.

On BEAM, Katie Meier started the team off strong by hitting her routine and getting a 8.95.  She just missed finishing in the top ten.  Ashley Smith tied with Katie.  Kylie finished 10th with a 9.0 while Mel finished 8th with a 9.15.

On FLOOR, Kylie took home top honors as a Lake County floor Co-Champion having tied with Warren’s Kim Gotlund.  She earned a 9.65,  which ties her with Kym Stansell for the top score on the record board.  Ofelia Carmichael and Grace Kohlmaier tied for 9th place with 9.0s. Grace nailed her 1 ½ twist on floor, much to the delight of all.  Ashley and Katie also threw beautiful floor routines. 

In the ALL-AROUND, Kylie finished 5th with a 36.8 and Ofelia finished 10th with a 36.1.

Next up for the Scouts is our last conference dual meet at Libertyville on Wednesday, January 20.  Varsity will then be at Niles West on Saturday beginning at 1:00 pm.

01/09/10--Lake Forest Invite
The Scouts played host to a 12-team invitational on Saturday night. This meet featured 5 very strong teams and the Scouts finished a strong 3rd place. The Scouts rolled to a new season high score with a 145.90. This is the top score in the history of LF gymnastics.

The night began on VAULT. Carolina Carmichael set the tone by nailing her 1st vault and earning a 9.3. Grace Kohlmaier continued with a 9.35, for 14th place. Ofelia Carmichael and Kylie Carlson tied for 4th place with scores of 9.6. The team event total also set a school record with a score of 37.85.

On BARS, Kylie Carlson and Melanie Foster both placed. Kylie was 7th with a score of 9.2 while Mel Foster continued to shine on bars with her third straight routine in the 9's. She place 10th with a 9.05. Carolina Carmichael also was very impressive adding a release move and hitting her double back dismount.

On BEAM, the Scouts had a very impressive night. The girls hit all 5 routines, and each girl scored in the 9's. Each of the girl's also had their personal best scores for the season. They shattered the old event total with a score of 37.25. The old record was set in 1984-85. That team had 3 beam routines place in the top 10 at the state meet. Katie Meier began the beam fun with a beautiful routine and scoring a 9.1. She placed 12th. In 11th place was Mel Foster with a very solid routine and a score of 9.15. In 8th place was Ashley Smith with a score of 9.25. Ofelia Carmichael was next and scored a career best 9.4. Finally, Kylie Carlson nailed her routine as well and place 5th with a score of 9.45.

FLOOR was the last event and all eyes were on the Scouts as all other events had finished. Ofelia finished in 10th place with a score of 9.2 and Kylie Carlson was 7th with a 9.25. Grace Kohlmaier also impressed her teammates by adding a new tumbling pass.

On ALL AROUND, Kylie finished a very strong 3rd place with a score of 9.375. This places her on the record board in a first-place tie with Gail Hamilton. Gail was the state all around champ in 1988 with that score. Ofelia finished in 8th place on the all around with an average score of 9.1375.

Next up for the Scouts after finals is the Stevenson JV invite on Friday, January 15, followed by the Lake County meet for Varsity at Mundelein on Saturday, January 16.

01/06/10
New year! New skills!  The dual meet against Vernon Hills was The Scout’s first  meet after break and in the new year. In order to see a few new routines, no All Arounders  competed  for the Scouts.  Everyone great! 

Madeline Cleeff competed  in her first dual meet on Varsity.  She had a strong showing on both Vault and Floor.  Grace Kohlmaier  won Vault with a 9.25.  Kylie Carlson won Bars with 9.35.  Ofelia Carmichael finished off by winning Beam and Floor with a pair of 9.3’s.  Ashley Smith had another solid night of performances on Vault, Bars, and Beam.  Mel Foster had a season- high score on Bars, with a 9.15.  Katie Meier had a solid  Floor routine and  scored an 8.8.  On the JV side, Devin  Shannon and Brittany Sacco lead the team with two strong All-Around performances. 

Brittany along with Rachel Sieb threw new tumbling passes on floor.  Gwen Hardy did a front walk over and new dismount on Beam.  Caroline  Kelner had consistent performances on Vault, Beam and Floor, and  Jordan rounded out the line up with strong performances on Vault and Beam.  Over all the Varsity finished  with a 142.3 and the JV finished with a 93.05. Both were winning scores for the night.

Next up will be the Lake Forest 12-team varsity invite on Saturday night at 6:00.  Hope to see you there.

12/19/09--- Holiday Tri Meet
The Varsity team had an outstanding night setting all sorts of records.  The team set a new team score record of 145.4.  The old record was set in 1984-85.

Kylie Carlson spent the night breaking records.  On bars she tied the top ten bar score with a 9.55.  She now shares that spot with her mother, Julie Nei.

Kylie also had record board performances on beam and all around.

The floor team beat the top floor score record that had been standing since 2004-05.  The new record is now a 37.5---earning that new event high were Melanie Foster (9.3), Ashley Smith (9.4), Grace Kohlmaier (9.2) and Ofelia Carmichael (9.6).  All of these scores were season highs.  Katie Meier and Kylie Carlson also scored in the 9’s.

Ashley Smith also added a season high score on vault with a 9.3, with Melanie Foster scored a 9.05 on bars.  Katie Meier and Carolina Carmichael also had strong showings on beam, bars and vault.

On the JV side, the team tallied a season high score of 96.25.  It was another strong showing by the team.  Madeline tied the school record for the highest JV floor score with a 9.0.  Brittany Sacco, Devin Shonnon and Madeline Cleeff had strong all around performances.  Rachel Sieb and Jordan Riewer were steady performers for the night.  Gwen Hardy hit her flight series on beam for the first time this season, much to the delight of her teammates and coaches.

Next up:  Vernon Hills and the Lake Forest Invitational

12/18/09
Lake Forest’s JV team placed 2nd out of 12 teams in the Niles West Star is Born Invite.  In this Varsity meet only 2 gymnasts compete per event.  Rachel Sieb and Gwen Hardy got the team off to a great start on vault.  Brittany Sacco and Madeline Cleeff added strong performances on bars.  Madeline finished in 8th on bars.  On beam Devin Shannon finished in 4th place and Madeline Cleeff finished in 7th.  On floor, Devin Shannon and Caroline Kelner both finished in the top 5.  Devin was 5th and Caroline was 2nd.  Congrats Scouts on another outstanding meet.

12/12/09
The Varsity Scouts had another strong team showing at the 31st annual Conant Invite.  The team took home another trophy by finishing 3rd out of 10 teams, with a score of 108.975.  In this meet only 3 scores count.  The Scouts started their second invite on beam with a strong beam team.  All four of the beam competitors placed in the top 15--Ashley Smith finished 11th; Kylie Carlson finished 8th; Katie Meier finished 5th and Ofelia Carmichael finished 4th.  Ashley added 15th on bars and 13th in the all around.  All-around competitors Ofelia and Kylie went 3-4 in the AA competition.  Ofelia also earned 2nd vault, 13th bars, and 6th on floor.   Kylie placed 6th on vault, 7th on bars, and 5th on floor. Grace Kohlmaier finished 15th on vault.   Carolina Carmichael had a beautiful bar routine and just missed getting an award. 

Next up for the Scouts is the Niles West Star is Born meet on Thursday, December 17, at 6:15, and the Holiday Tri meet which will be held on Friday, December 18, at Lake Forest at 6:30 pm.

12/11//09
JV Scouts place first  in the Libertyville Invite with a great team effort!
Madeline Cleeff and Devin Shannon were the Scouts two all-around competitors.  They placed 1st and 2nd in the AA competition.  Madeline also placed 1st on vault, beam and floor and 2nd on bars.  Devin finished the night with 2nd place finishes on vault and beam as well as  4th on bars and floor.  The specialists also had great finishes.  Jordan Riewer finished 4th on vault and bars.  Brittany Sacco swung to 3rd place on bars while Caroline Kelner danced her way to 3rd on floor.   Gwen Hardy had a strong showing on vault.

12/05/09
The Scouts excelled at the 21-team Rolling Meadows Invitational on Saturday night. Lake Forest finished a strong second place--just behind Carmel and ahead of defending state champions, Stevenson.

Katie Meier and Ashley Smith made up the beam team. They started off well by nailing both of their routines. Katie finished 4th and Ashley finished in 9th place. The excitement continued on the floor where Kylie Carlson added a new tumbling pass and finished a strong 2nd place with a score of 9.3. Madeline Cleeff also competed on floor.

On vault the fun continued with the Scouts finishing 1st and 2nd. Ofelia Carmichael won the event with a score of 9.65 followed by Grace Kohlmaier with a 9.5.

The Scouts finished on bars with great performances. Both girls threw new double-back dismounts and hit their routines. Mel Foster placed 2nd and Carolina Carmichael placed 6th.

The Scouts will be back in action on Wednesday against Warren and Mundelein. The meet will be at home at 6:00. Hope to see you there.

12/02/09
Hey Scouts Fans!
The Lake Forest High School Gymnastic season has gotten off to a great start.  The first meet was against the defending state champions, the Stevenson Patriots.  On Wednesday, December 2,  the Varsity Scouts vaulted their way to a 140.65.  The JV Scouts had a strong showing and beat the JV Patriots.  This was not only the first meet of the season,  but it was also the first-ever high school meet for our rookie Scouts.  Devin Shannon and Madeline Cleeff had strong All-Around performances.  Ashley Smith had a stellar vault and was part of the beam team that hit 5 out of 6 routines.  The fourth rookie is Kylie Carlson.  She finished the night tied for first on vault with teammate Ofelia Carmichael and claimed first place on bars.  The Varsity vault team, which included Ashley, Kylie, Ofelia and Grace Kolhmaier, broke a 25-year-old record for the highest team vault score.  Jordan Rewier also had a good showing after coming back from being out last year due to injury. 

The varsity team will be at the Rolling Meadows invite on Saturday at 4:30--bus leaves at 12:30.