PR’s Covers aims for all-around repeat

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When Prairie Ridge gymnast Jenny Covers falls, as she did on the balance beam and uneven bars the past two weeks, she hops up, dutifully smiles, quickly recomposes herself and finishes her routine.

Later, on the medal stand, Covers is the consummate good sport, congratulating her competitors and sharing in their glory.

Covers takes things in stride, but Prairie Ridge coach Lee Battaglia knows Covers well enough to know what she’s really thinking.

“She might not show it, but believe me, it’s burning inside her,” Battaglia said. “Trust me, she hides it well, but she’s very upset.”

That’s probably because Covers’ bar is set so high. The junior performs some of the most difficult skills, knowing what is possible when she lands them … anything. Covers had similar slips last year in the regional and sectional round, but when it counted most she hit them all and took home state championships in the all-around and on vault.

Covers, who did not win all-around at the regional or sectional this year, will try to defend her titles at the state meet Friday and Saturday in Palatine. She will be joined by her team, a co-op group from District 155 schools.

Cary-Grove’s Kali Herman, Molly Sandquist and Taylor Weber, along with Crystal Lake South’s Heather Kill, round out the Wolves’ lineup. They had the fifth-best score out of sectionals and could be in position for one of the three trophies.

Covers knows defending her all-around title will not be easy. Her situation is much different this season.

“It’s harder this year,” she said. “The pressure’s different a little bit, and it’s more of a team thing. It’s more people waiting to see what I’m doing. I have to get used to it.”

Ultimately, another state all-around title could come down to hitting a couple of her most difficult tricks. On the bars, she fell in the regional and sectional trying a Jaeger, where she lets go of the high bar, completes a full twist, then regrabs the bar. Battaglia also wants Covers to do a double layout back flip on her dismount, instead of a double tuck like she did at regional and sectional.

“I hope to hit them both,” Covers said. “I hope to hit them both and be more consistent, but it’s difficult with these levels of skills.”

Battaglia said Covers’ bars routine, performed correctly, could give her a 9.8 score.

“The double layout is much harder [than the tuck],” Battaglia said. “It’s beautiful.”

Covers comes out of sectionals tied for the ninth-best all-around score. Had she stayed on the bars and beam – each fall deducts 0.5 – she would be seeded right with Addison Trail’s Alyssa Cruz (38.225) and Gurnee Warren’s Kim Gotlund (38.200). Because of the falls, Covers did not qualify as an individual in the bars or beam.

“It’s a bummer,” Covers said. “I’m going to show them what I can do even if I’m not going to the finals.”

Covers now drives a Volkswagen Jetta, a present from her parents, Bill and Kathy, after winning state last year. She worked out through the spring and summer at Crystal Lake Gymnastics Training Center, which Battaglia owns, and also did high school cheerleading for the first time. Prairie Ridge’s team finished seventh at the IHSA Cheerleading State Competition for medium squads.

Her gymnastics season started well. She scored 10 on one of her vaults, in which she performs a Yurchenko, only the second 10 in state history in any event, according to the IHSA Web site. While warming up at Neuqua Valley, though, Covers suffered a bruised left heel, which set her back.

Battaglia thought it set her back at least a couple of weeks with what she could practice and skills she could perform in meets.

Battaglia believes Covers is a better gymnast this year, even if she doesn’t repeat as all-around champion.

“It’s not automatic – the second time is always harder,” Battaglia said. “It’s just like the Super Bowl or anything else, they’re gunning for you. The pressure’s on her now. Last year there was no pressure.

“The mental part for her’s a lot stronger. She’s physically stronger than she was last year and mentally stronger. She’s not going to go down easy, I’ll tell you that right now.”

Covers usually appears calm and focused, but having her teammates around her might be a slight advantage this time.

“They encourage me,” Covers said. “If something happens, I’m going to stay positive and they’ll help me out of it.”

Other than Covers’ heel, the Wolves have stayed relatively healthy this season, which allowed them to qualify as a team for the first time since 2002.

“It’s exciting, but it hasn’t set in yet,” said Herman, the only senior and a first-year high school competitor. “Once I get there, it will set in. This has been everything I hoped for. I like the four other [varsity] girls, and we get along real well.”

• Joe Stevenson covers high school sports for the Northwest Herald. He can be reached at 815-526-4513. He also can be reached by fax at 815-459-5640 or by e-mail at jstevenson@nwherald.com.