While it may be a bit premature to throw the term “dynasty” out to describe the Lyons Township High School girls gymnastics team, the Lions clearly have established themselves as the best program in the state. For the second straight year, LTHS won the girls gymnastics state finals (this year in decidedly more comfortable fashion), finishing with a top score of 151.275 Saturday at Palatine High School. Prairie Ridge Co-op (148.85) earned state runner-up followed by Fremd (146.675).
LTHS senior Michelle Cozza earned a share of the state title on bars with Barrington’s Abby Hasanov (both scored 9.5). Cozza’s teammate, LTHS junior Kelsy Kurfirst, repeated as the floor exercise state champ by posting a score of 9.675. Senior Katie Carling and Kurfirst paced LTHS with four medals each.
Olivia McGann and Mackenzie Stoltz also played key roles in leading the Lions’ return to glory. Jackie Fuller, Kelly Ryser and Cat Mossing rounded out the LTHS state championship squad, which claimed 11 individual medals overall.
Other individual state champions included Prairie Ridge’s Rachael Underwood in the vault (9.8), Stevenson’s Alyssa Weisberg on the beam (9.65), and Claire Rose Ginsberg of Geneva, who won the all-around title (37.875)
