LT Sports Roundup: Big Events for Gymnastics, Swimming Teams

The Lyons Township girls gymnastics team is holding a new home invitational at 6 p.m. Friday at the north campus.

Opponents will be Glenbard West, Glenbrook North, Lake Park and Naperville Central.

Last season, the Lions just missed a fifth straight trip as a team to the eight-team state meet. They had the ninth-highest sectional score (144.775) and were shy of sharing the final berth by just .20. They also finished third at the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet (142.875) and third in the final overall standings, ending their streak of four consecutive outright or shared overall titles.

The Lions return senior Ali Stuck and junior Maren Craig from their sectional lineup and senior Kalen Iffert, who also had varsity experience during her first high-school season. Making big contributions already to the varsity are freshmen Kelsy Kurfirst and Kelly Ryser.

Kurfirst, a Level 9 club gymnast with Action Gymnastics, already has been a first-place finisher at every invite or dual meet. Ryser and Craig got a late start to the season because of diving, and Craig also had her offseason training hampered by a stress fracture in her back.

The Lions graduated a strong senior class, including individual state qualifiers Carolyn Cozza and Simone Bunsen and all-arounder Katie Oeltgen. Cozza was a two-event all-stater last season, taking third on floor and tying for third on vault.

“I absolutely love that these girls are so young (as a group). We can really lay a good groundwork, a good foundation. I’m very excited that they love the sport and that they love their school,” LT coach Kari Karubas said.

“(Our varsity returnees are) reliable and you absolutely have to have those kind of athletes so we were lucky to have them last year and luckier to have them return to us this year. I think they realize, though, that they have a new role this year. Our lineup is sparse this year so I see all of my girls as all-arounders.”

On Wednesday, the Lions lost a tight Silver meet at Glenbard West 140.30 to 140.25 despite breaking the 140-point barrier for the first time this season and Kurfirst winning all-around (37.25), floor exercise (9.45), vault (9.4) and balance beam (9.15) and taking second on the uneven parallel bars (9.25). Ryser was third in all-around (35.25), and Ryser (8.9) and Craig (8.8) were second and third on beam.

The overall Silver title is a 50-50 combination of standings in the regular-season duals and the Silver Meet Jan. 28 at Downers Grove North.

In previous Silver action, LT defeated York 139.10 to 133.15 Dec. 7 in Elmhurst. Kurfirst (37.45) and Ryser (34.65) finished 1-2 in all-around with Kurfirst winning floor (9.6), vault (9.55), uneven bars (9.4) and beam (8.9) and Ryser taking second on beam (8.4) and uneven bars (8.05) and third on floor (9.15) and vault (9.05).

On Dec. 3, the Lions finished second at Downers North’s Big Purple Invite (104.275) to Fremd (108.075). Teams are allowed only four competitors per event with the top three scores going toward the team total. Most meets allow five entries with four scores counting for the team.

Kurfirst won the all-around (36.875), vault (9.525), uneven bars (9.5) and floor (9.2) and was fourth on beam (8.65). Iffert was seventh on all-around (33.75) and 10th on vault (9.075), and Ryser tied for 10th on beam (8.2).

In her high-school debut Nov. 23, Kurfirst won three titles at Hinsdale South’s Hornet Invite. LT (135.40) finished a close second to Waubonsie Valley/Metea Valley co-op (135.55).

Kurfirst won all-around (37.25) by 1.15 points while also winning uneven bars (9.45) and floor (9.45). She also was second on vault (9.45) and fifth on beam (8.9).

Iffert was fifth on vault (9.0) and eighth on floor (8.65). Ryser was fourth on uneven bars (8.35), eighth in all-around (33.55), tied for 11th on vault (8.6) and was 13th on floor (8.4) and Stuck was 11th on beam (8.35) and 13th on uneven bars (7.75).

LT boys swimming and diving

The Lyons Township boys swimming and diving team is taking on rival Hinsdale Central at 5 p.m. Friday at the south campus pool followed by a trip to the Marmion Invitational Saturday.

It’s a new look for the Lions this season.  They still have 11 seniors in the program, but Danny McGuinness and junior Joe Shannon are the lone returning state competitors from last year’s successful season. The Lions advanced seven individual entries and all three relays to the state meet in winning the Downers Grove North Sectional, their fifth sectional team title over the past six seasons.

The 200-yard freestyle relay with McGuinness was 13th (1:26.65), just .02 from the last spot in the consolation finals, and the 200 medley relay with McGuinness and Shannon was 14th (1:37.61) but .81 from the last advancing spot. McGuinness also was 38th in the 100 free (48.88 seconds).

LT coach Scott Walker has been encouraged by the progress of his younger swimmers, many of whom have been thrust right into the varsity lineup.

“Basically, we’re kind of starting from scratch. We have some pretty good young kids to build off of, and that’s what we’re looking forward to,” Walker said. “The kids are working hard, but we’re just going to have to be patient and develop as the season goes.”

The Lions won their West Suburban Conference Silver Division dual opener over Proviso West 132-28 Dec. 9 in Hillside after losing their dual and season opener at Glenbrook North 114-72 Dec. 2. LT finished seventh in the Red Division at the Barrington Invitational Dec. 10 and seventh in the Gold Division at the Stevenson Invitational Dec. 3.
 
New varsity candidates include junior Sean McMahon, sophomores David Freund, Adam Kline and Brendan Weibel and freshmen Nick Bonneville, Jack Garrow, Ben Hewett and Lucas O’Bryan. Freund is a move-in from Texas.

“It’s going to be a total learning experience. Hopefully they can grow along the way,” Walker said.

LT boys basketball

The Lyons Township boys basketball team will visit York at 7:30 p.m. Friday in West Suburban Conference Silver Division action before returning to Elmhurst over the holidays to compete at York’s Jack Tosh Holiday Classic Dec. 27-30. The pairings were expected to be announced Friday.

The Lions (1-4) also have a nonconference home game against Prospect at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Lions lost their Silver opener to Glenbard West 59-46 Dec. 9 in La Grange. On Saturday, the Lions lost at home to Sandburg 41-36, their second loss this season by five points or fewer.

At the annual LT Thanksgiving Tournament, LT won its season opener over Argo 72-59 Nov. 23 and lost to Fenwick 74-61 Nov. 25 and Morton 47-44 Nov. 26. The Lions lost 78-60 at Riverside-Brookfield Dec. 3.

LT girls basketball

The Lyons Township girls basketball team will be holding an open practice for youth basketball players and coaches from 8 to 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23 at the north campus fieldhouse.

For more information, contact LT girls basketball coach Katie Meyers at kmeyers@lths.net.