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Boys Gymnastics: Policht Libertyville’s top performer in league meet
Evan Policht of the Wildcats moves through his pommel horse routine. | Joe Cyganowski~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: June 4, 2012 11:20AM
When he’s not registering high marks for Libertyville High School’s gymnastics team, senior Evan Policht works as a cashier at a local grocery/drugstore.
But don’t think the Wildcat doesn’t perform tricks in between ringing up bananas and aspirin while wearing a maroon shirt, black pants and black sneakers.
“I’ll be at work and hear, ‘Evan, do a back flip,’ ” said Policht after the Independent Conference meet at Stevenson on April 25.
Policht executes the flip at work for a couple of reasons.
Because he can.
And because the one who utters the request is usually Policht’s boss.
“I could see Evan doing that at work,” said Libertyville junior gymnast Serg Ayala. “Sure, I could.”
Policht was in proper attire at the conference meet, as he finished ninth in all-around (41.1) as the Wildcats’ lone all-around competitor. He also placed eighth on floor exercise (8.8) and tied for eighth on vault (8.7).
His 5.8 on high bar also was a team-best score.
“Evan is looking really good, and I really like his attitude,” Wildcats first-year coach Josh Cimo said after five events at the conference meet. “He’s grown a lot, matured a lot, since the start of the season. The focus has gone from himself to his teammates. It’s been great seeing him encourage teammates, being that helping hand, being the guy who says to a teammate, ‘Hey, try this and then maybe try that.’ It’s like having another coach in the gym at practice.”
Policht would have liked to coach his painful left ankle back to health last week. He rolled it pretty severely during his floor routine at the conference meet, and needed help from two people to get transported to a bleacher seat. With his ankle elevated, Policht winced a little — and smiled a lot.
“I like flipping and doing other cool stuff in this sport,” he said, noting he added a full-and-a-half punch-front and a double-full to his floor show this spring.
Ayala certainly enjoys watching Policht perform on floor. But he also relishes paying close attention as soon as Policht reaches for a high bar.
“I really enjoy what he does up there,” Ayala said. “All those grip changes, they’re impressive. Evan pulls everything through nicely.”
Numbers game: Libertyville placed sixth (107.9) at the conference meet. Mundelein successfully defended its championship with a 144.97-point total, ahead of runner-up Lake Park (140.35) and Stevenson (135.95).
Libertyville’s Will Larson placed ninth on floor (8.7); teammate Mark Pickar scored a team-best 5.4 (11th place) on pommel horse; and Libertyville’s Pat Fitzgerald landed an 11th-place 8.5 on vault.
“We’re having our best meet, and we don’t even have our full lineup,” Cimo said near meet’s end. “The guys are staying on, staying tight. I’d say we’re hitting 75 to 80 percent of our routines.”
On the schedule: Libertyville vies for State berths at the Palatine Sectional, beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Flashback: Libertyville finished seventh (124.2 points) at last year’s Mundelein Sectional, when senior Craig Breckenridge topped the all-around field (52.95) and placed first on pommel horse (9.2) and on vault (9.35).
Policht finished 14th in all-around (37.75).
