The varsity girls gymnastics team made a statement at their home opener Wednesday night, delivering a cumulative score of 130.85. Competing against Libertyville and Mundelein, the team scored just 4 points behind the Libertyville Wildcats, finishing in second place. Head Coach Judy Harwood expressed pride in her team’s growth and ability to rise to the occasion, noting the improvement from last season’s home opener.
“We did seven points better than last year’s opening meet,” Harwood said. “I was really pleased we got in the 130s on our first meet.”
Team scores are determined by combining the individual performance of gymnasts across four events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. Each routine is scored by adding together the difficulty score and execution score.
At the IHSA Sectionals last season, Kate Staub ’27 qualified for the state finals in two events. Keeping up this performance, on Wednesday, Staub received a 9.3 on the balance beam, securing her a first place finish and contributing to her third place finish overall.
“I practice every day for beam,” Staub said. “I value my training and I think that’s why I did so good today.”
The uneven bars competition featured solid performances from all gymnasts. Staub led her team with a third-place finish, scoring a 8.800. Teammates Sophia Gibson ’26 (7.900) and Clara Cavalcanti ’25 (7.850) also delivered strong routines, helping Stevenson maintain a competitive presence at the meet.
In the floor exercise event, Staub (8.95), Cavalcanti (8.70), and Elizabeth Garcia ’26 (7.75) all placed in the top 10, getting 3rd, 4th, and 8th respectively. The Patriots treated this meet as an opportunity for the team to test the waters in terms of competition and to put their expertise and hard work on display.
“Reminding ourselves that this is just the beginning of the season is really motivating because at the end of the day, it is already an accomplishment to get these skills out of the gym and throw them on equipment,” Cavalcanti said.
As the team prepares for the Invitational meet at Rolling Meadows today and beyond, the athletes are focused on training for the challenges ahead. The team has a clear picture of what they need to get done and the steps they need to take to get there.
“We will be improving throughout the season,” Harwood said. “We are going to be adding tricks and more difficulty. We are going to be able to hit our routines better as we have a few more weeks of practice.”
Since Harwood’s hiring in 1990, the Patriots have won five IHSA state championships, 10 regional sectional titles, and 19 regional crowns. In 2019, she was one of the inaugural inductees into the Stevenson Athletics Hall of Fame. While the outcome of the meet wasn’t a first place finish, Harwood is confident that, with enough training and teamwork, Stevenson will end the season with even more playoff success for the gymnastics program.
“We have lots of talent and lots of potential,” Harwood said. “We are just not quite ready [until we keep practicing this season].”
The Patriots are excited to build on this rewarding first meet. Harwood plans to use their daily practices at American Academy in Wheeling to focus on integrating all their skill work into full routines to improve endurance and get higher scores.
“[It’s important that we remember] to give ourselves grace and know it’s only up from here,” Cavalcanti said.