Girls Gymnastics: Libertyville’s Lee lights it up at regional

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Libetyville's Mariah Lee performs on the uneven bars during Friday's regional. | Brian O'Mahoney~for Sun-Times Media

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Updated: April 10, 2012 11:54AM

Libertyville High School sophomore gymnast Mariah Lee’s face lit up like a Christmas tree when it was announced that she was the all-around champion at Friday’s New Trier Regional.

Lee’s all-around score of 36.4 edged Northside Prep’s Ashley Bernardo (36.075).

“She couldn’t believe it,” Wildcats coach John Taylor said.

Lee’s versatility was the biggest difference. She won on uneven bars (9.325), and finished in the top four in every event.

Not bad for a gymnast who made varsity as a freshman but typically contributed only the Wildcats’ third or fourth best score.

“She has come a long way,” Taylor said.

Lee did not take a break once her freshman season ended. She began preparation for the 2011-12 season immediately, and the result of her work has been apparent throughout the campaign.

“She did not have an offseason; she never stopped working,” Taylor said. “She was always thinking about gymnastics.”

In addition to her win on bars, Lee scored 9.35 on vault, 8.975 on floor and 8.75 on beam. She may score higher on vault, because she added a tougher degree of difficulty to her routine. On floor exercise, her jumps are higher and her form is better.

It was the first all-around title for Lee in a major meet. Taylor said that Lee is the type of gymnast who’s starting to relish competing on a pressure-packed stage.

“She gets nervous, but she puts it in the back of her mind and does what she needs to do,” Taylor said. “It really shows how much confidence she has.”

Cats move on: The Wildcats (140.65) came up just short of regional champ New Trier (142.075), but they still advanced to sectional for the first time as a team in at least six years.

“This was a very successful meet for us,” Taylor said.

After suffering four falls on beam, the Wildcats rallied with a strong floor routine.

Libertyville also benefited from a return to health, as senior Lindsay Schweitzer (wrist) returned to the lineup. Schweitzer was fifth on floor (8.95) — and on beam (8.7), despite a fall.

“This could have been her last meet, and it was great to see the way she gave it her all and was so successful,” Taylor said.

The only event Schweitzer competed on at the conference meet was beam.

“She’s still in a lot of pain, but she really showed how much she cares about the team,” Taylor said. “She really pushed through.”

Jenna Dunsing finished fifth in all-around (35.275). After falling twice on beam, she responded on floor and finished first with a score of 9.175.

“She was extremely clean and really sold the routine,” Taylor said. “That was a huge boost for her.”

Sophomore Rachael Metcalf came through with a clutch 9.05 on vault.

On the schedule: The Wildcats will compete in the Niles North Sectional Thursday night.

“We’ll focus on consistency and making every trick clean so we can get the highest score possible,” Taylor said.