Their ticket is punched

Trojans reach state meet with at-large bid

The Downers Grove North boys gymnastics team often sports a T-shirt with motto "One-tenth at a time."

Those words were never as true as when the Trojans received one of three at-large bids to the state boys gymnastics meet at Barrington High School that runs May 9 and 10.

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Downers Grove North's Doug Rybar works his way through his horizontal bar routine during sectional competition May 2 at DGN. Rybar, a state medalist last season, qualified for this season's state competition in every event.
Photos by Jon Cunningham / Special to The Sun

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Steve Haake of Downers Grove South completes a handstand during his floor exercise routine. A state qualifier last season, Haake earned his highest sectional score May 2 in this event with a 9.4.

STATE QUALIFIERS

Team

Downers Grove North, 152.1.

Individuals

All-around - Doug Rybar (DGN) 53.75; Steve Haake (DGS) 49.65.

Floor exercise - Rybar 9.4; Haake 9.4; Luke Schubert (DGN) 9.05; Dennis Hairston (DGN) 9.0.

Pommel horse - Rybar 9.1; Haake 7.8.

Still rings - Rybar 8.8; Arthur Gutzke (DGN) 7.95.

Vault - Rybar 9.450; Haake 9.3; Schubert 9.2; Hairston 9.1.

Parallel bars - Schubert 8.65; Rybar 8.4; Ted Schmidt (DGN) 8.250; Haake 8.250.

Horizontal bar - Mike Benning (DGN) 8.650; Rybar 8.6; Haake 7.750.

"I'm just happy we have an opportunity have a chance to go," said North coach Al Bekkedal, who led the Trojans to a fifth-place finish last season.

Eight teams reach the state competition with the five sectional first-place teams advancing. In addition, the top three scores from non-sectional winning teams also advance.

The Trojans entered their own sectional May 2 with the knowledge that Glenbard West and Wheaton Co-op had posted 152.4 and 152 respectively while finishing behind St. Charles North at the Wheaton Co-op Sectional on April 30.

North scored a 152.1 to place second behind sectional winner Lincoln-Way East Co-op (162).

The Trojans then had to wait out the results of the Palatine and Lake Park Sectionals held May 3 before they could begin preparations for a return trip to state.

"Fortunately, the philosophy (on the T-shirt) came through for us," Bekkedal said. "This is the type of meet that if we had went 151.9 we would have been done."

Junior Doug Rybar led the Trojans.

Rybar finished second in the all-around with a score of 53.750. Rybar placed second on the floor exercise, pommel horse and vault. He added a fourth-place finish on still rings, a fifth-place finish on the horizontal bar and a seventh-place finish on the parallel bars.

Rybar was happy with his results considering he is still recovering from left-shoulder surgery he had earlier this year that had him playing catch-up throughout the regular season.

"Our performance at sectionals was not our best," Rybar said. "The good thing is there is plenty of room for improvement. We had a good score, but we can do better if everyone hits their sets."

The fact the Trojans are making a return trip to state is a bit surprising considering they lost a large portion of last year's fifth-place team to graduation. It helped that North received performances from underclassmen such as freshman Luke Schubert and junior Ted Schmidt, who had third- and eighth-place finishes respectively on the parallel bars. Senior Mike Benning added a fourth-place finish on the horizontal bars.

The Trojans also received significant contributions from freshman Matt Rakow, sophomore Dennis Hairston, juniors Ted Smith and Dwight Johnson and seniors Arthur Gutzke and Mike Halick.

"It was hard to fill in the pieces," Rybar said, "but everyone has stepped up real well this year. It was nice to get back to a level we were competing at last year. Hopefully, we can continue to improve at state."

Rybar finished third on horizontal bar, fifth on all-around and sixth on pommel horse last year at state.

Downers Grove South also competed in the sectional and placed seventh out of nine teams with a score of 119.4.

Mustangs coach Mike Stauffer said the squad lost some key contributors because of prom.

The Mustangs, who averaged 128 throughout the season, were without their second-best athlete in Zach Kumkoski, among others.

"It was rough, but one good thing about it was that the younger kids we brought up for the meet did a real nice job and got a little taste of what it is like to compete on the varsity level," Stauffer said.

However, senior Steve Haake had another successful sectional.

Haake qualified for state on floor exercise and vault at sectionals. Then he also received at-large qualifying bids in the all-around and horizontal bar, parallel bars and pommel horse.

"For the most part, the meet went well," Haake said. "I had a few rough spots on rings and high bar. I was more focused on qualifying for state rather than attempting to get personal bests, at this point."

Haake was 28th in the all-around at state in 2007.

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