Oswego’s Ava Sullivan and Sam Phillip continue to push

Oswego young Ava Sullivan I wasn’t sure what to expect when my classmate last season Sam Philip convinced her to try gymnastics in high school.

But although Sullivan was still vague on the details, things turned out pretty well as both qualified for the state meet and barely missed making it to the finals in floor practice.

“Last year I was just trying to dip my toe in the water and see what high school gymnastics was like,” Sullivan said. “I don’t really remember any of my state experience last year.

“It’s like I fainted or something.”

And now?

“I’m in the deep end,” Sullivan said. “I dived headfirst.”

Both Sullivan and Phillip are climbing the ladder to establish themselves among the state elite. They finished ninth and 12th, respectively, in the overall competition at the state meet Friday in Palatine, and both qualified for the field finals.

Oswego coach Michael Burge It was exciting for the couple.

“For the first time in over 20 years we have two players in the final,” Burge said. “They have both matured a lot as athletes.

“Their calmness is in high-pressure conditions. They’ve really become adept at releasing parts they can’t control. I’m pleased with that.”

So are the gymnasts, who are enjoying competition more than ever.

“Last year was more stressful, I think, because Ava and I weren’t that close,” Phillip said. “But this year is very different because we have bonded with each other to do our best.

“It helps a lot.”

Sullivan and Phillips became friends and teammates. They feed off each other’s energy.

“They both push each other in a really healthy way,” Burge said. “It’s not just ‘Let me do my best.’ It means ‘Let’s do our best’ and you can really see that in training.

“You walk into the gym and see the temperature rise significantly.”

The pressure to pick up the pace increases significantly at the state meet, especially at event finals where gymnasts compete one at a time and all eyes are on the individual.

Phillip has been through this before, When I was ranked 10th on vault as a freshman. But this was Sullivan’s first time competing under these spotlights, so he was glad to have Phillip by his side.

“It’s convenience,” Sullivan said. “Because I can’t imagine what I would be like if I were here alone. I would throw myself against the wall like crazy. “It’s really helpful to have someone with you.”

The floor finals were especially enjoyable for Sullivan and Phillip because they performed back-to-back. Sullivan placed second among 11 competitors with 9.0 points. Phillip followed with 9.35.

Phillip finished seventh and Sullivan finished ninth. Vernon Hills senior Annika Chudy captured the title with 9.675 points.

“It was really exciting,” Sullivan said. “It’s a really fun experience, especially having a teammate with you and we got after each other, which was great.”

The top 5 finishers in each event win medals. Only two Oswego gymnasts – sisters Tiffany and Jessica Bell We achieved this in the late 1990s.

“I’m so happy,” Phillip said. “Next year we will try to go higher and get on the podium. My goal is to get somewhere on the podium in everything.”

Burke has an additional target. He would like to see the Panthers qualify as a team, something they haven’t done since 2002.

“We are not graduating any college gymnasts,” Burke said. “Our plan is to run it one more time in about 12 months and hopefully we’ll bring a few more people with us.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.