Riverside Brookfield High School junior Reese Phelan and freshman Paige Phelan are more alike at girls gymnastics meets than just being sisters. As they competed Saturday at the sixth annual Bulldog Invitational, both had black braces around their left ankles.
“We just roll our ankles. Honestly, I don’t know [why],” Reese said. “I’ve rolled this ankle like five different times so it’s been an ongoing issue.”
Both also are quite talented. The all-arounders were among the reasons the Bulldogs achieved their second-highest score of the season (124.50 points) in finishing fourth at their nine-team home invite.
Paige Phelan earned three individual medals as the Bulldogs followed up their season-high 126.20, Jan. 13, at the Neuqua Valley Invitational.
“As the season goes on, I feel like everyone gets more solid with their events and more confident with the meets,” Paige said. “I think when I’m relaxed, I do better. When I feel prepared and relaxed, I do better. It’s our home gym so I feel better.”
Paige Phelan was third on floor exercise (8.6), fifth on balance beam (8.25) and all-around (33.525) and sixth on uneven parallel bars (8.425), .025 from fifth.
Reese Phelan tied for ninth on floor (8.05), was 14th in all-around (31.025) and 15th on vault (8.35).
Junior Tanya Hertogs was ninth on beam (7.9). Junior Claudia Tello and sophomore Natalia Maruska also competed in three events and senior Queniya Booker on floor.
The Bulldogs had four instead of five competitors on uneven bars and floor with sophomore all-arounder Kayla Janusz not competing.
Still, the Bulldogs had their third straight meet above 123 since returning from winter break after starting the season at 116. Reese Phelan and Hertogs were the lone returnees from last year’s invite lineup that won with a then-season-high 131.35.
Riverside-Brookfield’s Reese Phelan stands next to her sister Paige Phelan and waits for her score after competing on the uneven bars during the 6th Annual Bulldog Varsity Invitational Saturday, January 20, 2024 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Tatiana Hertogs competes on the uneven bars during the 6th Annual Bulldog Varsity Invitational Saturday, January 20, 2024 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Paige Phelan competes on the vault during the 6th Annual Bulldog Varsity Invitational Saturday, January 20, 2024 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Natalia Maruska competes on the vault during the 6th Annual Bulldog Varsity Invitational Saturday, January 20, 2024 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark) 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Claudia Tello competes on the vault during the 6th Annual Bulldog Varsity Invitational Saturday, January 20, 2024 in Brookfield, IL. (Steve Johnston/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark)
“It was good to see them all work together and make it happen. Sure, we didn’t take top three, but we’ve come a long way from where we started this season,” RBHS coach Karyn Domzalski said.
“It was a really good meet for [Paige]. She’s got some new skills this season.”
The Phelans certainly have made their improvements heard. During practice, they’ve become known for their grunting noises — but never at meets.
“When we fall on something or we just get tired [at practice], we just grunt,” Reese said. “It’s just my reflex when I fall. I grunt and apparently Paige does the same thing and [Domzalski] just thinks it’s funny.”
“It’s like their signature. Some of their teammates have picked up on it, too,” Domzalski added. “Every now and then, we see a little sister battle, but it’s cute and fun.”
The Phelans both had their highest all-around totals Saturday during the recent scoring surge. They have done gymnastics together basically since the start. This fall, they were high-school teammates as divers and may compete together for the track team.
“Yeah, I think it’s kind of nice, comforting, having each other on the team,” Reese said.
“It really helps,” added Paige. [Reese] helps guide me through all of the stuff like the meets and helps me know what to do overall during the season. She’s been through this a couple of times so she knows what to expect.”
The two could also share qualifying for sectionals individually.
Hertogs is the lone returning qualifier from 2023, advancing on beam. After being sidelined earlier this season from a lingering back injury, she is back competing on everything but floor and improving her beam skills.
“Sitting out for a little bit made me realize I can be doing so much more with my time at practice. I got a couple of extra skills [round off and 1½ turn] because I was ready to come back,” Hertogs said.
“We’ve been having a lot of ups and downs with injuries, so our scores have been all over the place, but I think we did really well [Saturday]. If we relax, the meet goes better. The more fun we have, the better the meet is.”
Booker just returned to action after dislocating her right shoulder. Domzalski said she received clearance to return as long as she doesn’t put full pressure on that shoulder. She hoped to debut the one-arm floor routine at Senior Night, Jan. 16, but bad weather forced that to be rescheduled for Thursday. She had a trial run at the Bulldogs’ junior varsity invite Friday and scored 6.5 on Saturday.
“We were excited she got to practice it this weekend and now she’ll do it Senior Night, too,” Domzalski said.