The D99 girl’s gymnastics team ended their season on a high note. They competed at the state meet at Palatine High School, Feb. 21, and took home another state championship title. Senior Alli Palansky, a four-time state qualifier, has found that throughout her time as a gymnast, she has gained valuable life lessons and knowledge because of the sport. 

“The biggest thing gymnastics has taught me is how to be resilient,” senior Alli Palansky said. “Gymnastics is full of ups and downs, meaning you have to be able to push through the struggles and rely on your teammates and coaches to help support you.”

While gymnastics is an individual sport, having a strong and supportive team is still an important aspect. Teammates help push and encourage the athletes, cheering them on through the good and the bad. They start building this team environment in early spring when they are preparing for the upcoming season.

“We all train together from April to November without competitions. We learn new skills while also improving on ones we already have,” junior Kaelyn Landry said. “We keep ourselves conditioned to maintain what we have built up in the previous season.”

The team won regionals and won their sectional meet, allowing them to advance to the state competition. In their preliminary round, they finished with a score of 148.45. By the time they took the podium, they were at 148.7. 

“When we first won state it felt surreal,” junior Emilie Kuchta said. “But once we were handed the trophy it reminded me of all the hard work my team and I put into this sport, and it felt amazing.”

The girls won the state title by a landslide. The second place team had three points less than them with a score of 145.5, making this the first time in 25 years that the score difference between first and second place was more than three points. Every athlete sent down to state – Kuchta, Landry, Palansky, and sophomore Caroline Philip played a crucial role in their successes for this season.