Sophomore Cora Rosenfeld and her Riverside Brookfield High School girls gymnastics teammates emphasized the little things in preparation for the Lincoln-Way East Regional Feb. 2.
“(At practice) we worked a lot on cleaning up (routines), just sweeping around for regionals,” Rosenfeld said.
“This meet I was feeling ready. I felt ready for (balance) beam.”
Rosenfeld’s 8.3 on beam helped her advance in that event and all-around for the Oswego Sectional Wednesday to join junior and three-time sectional qualifier Paige Phelan, who advanced in all-around, the uneven parallel bars and floor exercise.
Phelan tied for third on uneven bars (8.55), was fourth in all-around (33.75) and tied for fifth on floor (8.7). Gymnasts advance to sectionals automatically with top-five regional finishes or at-large by being among the top 12 remaining scores from the four feed-in regionals.
The Bulldogs were third (126.95 points) with sophomores Aaliyah Noel, Elly Dickerson and Ana Bacik and freshmen Brooklyn Tabb and Greta Zhukova also competing.
“Paige’s bars and floor (were highlights). And bars as a whole,” RBHS coach Karyn Domzalski said. “Cora’s beam was huge. That’s one of her better scores. She was very confident and solid.”
Last season, Phelan was the Bulldogs’ lone individual qualifier.
Rosenfeld remembered just missing advancing at-large in all-around. This time, Rosenfeld received a big boost from her beam routine that edged the 8.25 at-large cut.
“I think it was my best (performance). It felt really solid,” Rosenfeld said. “Sometimes I wobble, but today it felt like a good, solid stick.”
Phelan has now qualified for sectionals in all-around three times, uneven bars for the first time and floor twice.
For all-around in 2025, she attempted a Tsukahara FLIP vault for the first time in
competition. This year’s 8.45 regional vault just missed the 8.475 at-large cut.
“I’m happy with my consistency throughout the season. I’m really happy about the team as a whole, just getting a lot better,” Phelan said. “I’m going to know what to expect this year (for sectionals) and hopefully be cleaner and tighter.”
Domzalski entered four all-arounders with hopes of advancing more individuals in the least-populated event.
It nearly worked. Freshmen Brooklyn Tabb (30.575) and Margaret Zhukova (30.525) just missed the 30.725 at-large cut as the No. 13 and 14 candidates. Zhukova (7.95 on uneven bars) also just missed that 8.05 at-large cut.
Domzalski said Phelan and the team have improved on bars thanks for more training.
“We worked a lot more high bars this season. I think that was the difference,” Domzalski said.
LTHS girls gymnastics
Lyons Township sophomore Jomy Santos Morales often wasn’t part of last season’s senior-dominated varsity lineup.
Her third-place 9.0 on floor at the Lincoln-Way East Regional is a testament to her significant improvements.
“That’s my second 9.0 (on floor) so I’m very happy,” said Santos Morales, who competed on three events.
“(I’ve improved) a lot. A lot. A bunch. And I’m very proud of myself for doing that floor, to have the mental (fortitude) to do the skills that I need to do.”
Freshman Emily Martinez of Brookfield and junior Katherine Trolley also advanced individually for the second-place Lions (131.425).
Martinez won uneven bars (8.75), was second in all-around (34.65), fifth on vault (8.75), tied for fifth on floor (8.7) and advanced at-large on beam (8.45).
Trolley was fifth in all-around (32.95) and uneven bars (8.425).
In winning bars, Martinez stuck the double-back flip dismount that she didn’t in its competition debut at the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet.
“Landing it was pretty cool,” Martinez said.
“(My sectional goals are) probably to stay on beam and and try to get my scores up on everything.”
Trolley persevered after spraining an elbow ligament falling off bars during warmups for the Silver Meet and missing that competition. She remained questionable after limited practice before regionals.
“Definitely not my best (meet),” Trolley said. “I guess I’m happy that I was at least able to do everything.”
Seniors Clare Byrne and Maggie Denja and sophomores Mia Kosensky and Lily Proctor also competed. On vault, Trolley (8.425) and Byrne (8.4) just missed the 8.475 at-large cut.