On Feb. 4, the varsity girls’ gymnastics team competed at the DuPage Valley Conference regional competition held at Neuqua Valley. Up against four other teams, the girls took the first place title with a final total of 137.25 points, trumping Neuqua Valley Coop. (Neuqua and Waubonsie) by a mere 0.55 points.

“We knew that Neuqua Valley Coop. was going to be a big competitor at this meet,” senior captain Claire Savard said. “We were going to have to hit every event to win the title. In this sport, every point counts.”

Winning the regional competition earns the varsity girls an automatic qualification to the sectional competition.

“After being regional champs, we automatically qualify for sectionals as a team, and then will hopefully qualify for state as a team, as well,” Savard said.

From the regional competition also came many individual wins, as well. Savard placed fourth on the balance beam, junior Danielle Breeden finished fifth on bars, senior captain Vanessa Henry placed second with her floor routine and sophomore Jill Schuberth won first place on vault, bars, beam, floor and all-around.

Savard recognizes that the close bond between team members contributed to the regional win.

“We are more of a family than a team,” Savard said. “We are always there for each other, inside and out of the gym. We also always joke about how we are maybe even too comfortable with each other.”

The sectional competition will be held on Wed., Feb. 12 at Hinsdale Central, and the state meet will take place on Feb. 21 and 22 at Palatine.