Glenbrook South’s Bebe Haramaras performs her balance beam routine at the Chester Jones Invitational at Evanston. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER
A Glenbrook South gymnast sticks a routine at a meet and disappears, temporarily, under a swarm of ecstatic teammates. The hugs and happy screams are genuine reactions to a display of grace and power and fearlessness. Minutes later, another Glenbrook South gymnast completes a routine, this one not as sharp, not as elegant. Teammates do not hesitate to swarm her, too, aware consoling hugs could be just what the Titan needs to start preparing for her next routine.
Parents of Glenbrook South gymnasts notice what goes on in between the Titans’ routines at meets. Parents of gymnasts from other schools notice what goes on in between the Titans’ routines at meets.
“Our kids’ parents,” Titans coach Steve Gale says, “have been quick to comment how cohesive our team is at meets, how often the girls root for each other, how much they care for one another. Our girls are positive, upbeat. You want that from your gymnasts.”
You want a Bebe Haramaras on your side. The Glenbrook South sophomore all-arounder placed eighth on the balance beam at the state meet last winter. Getting a 9.5 or a 9.4 beam score from her is not an unusual feat. She added a switch leap/back flip to her beam show this winter. She fell once during her beam routine at the Chester Jones Invitational at Evanston Township High School on Jan. 9. That was unusual. The fall disappointed her. Haramaras hid that reaction quite well, knowing her teammates needed to see confidence and resolve from her during the second half of the meet.
“I’m more of a leader and a role model this year,” Haramaras, a Level 9 gymnast and club member at The Gymnastics Shop in Mount Prospect, says. “I can’t show anybody I’m upset after a routine. My attitude has to be, Rock the next event. I want my teammates to recognize that attitude. It’s important to stay positive in this sport. It’s also important to have fun in this sport. If you’re not having fun, you get scared, you lose confidence.”
A scared gymnast is a tentative gymnast, not a good thing in such a challenging sport.
Haramaras often gives her teammates quick pep talks before routines, usually ending each message with a resounding, “Let’s rally!” She likes to encourage Titans to go for it. She likes to high five Titans. She likes to smile at Titans.
“Bebe is fun to be around,” Gale says. “She works hard, listens. She’s coachable. What a season she had last year, especially at the end of it. She hit [her beam routines], boom, boom, boom, boom. Solid, consistent. I was very proud of her.”
Haramaras finished fourth in the all-around (35.35), two spots ahead of classmate Kylie Kruger (34.325), at Evanston last weekend. She nailed her floor routine in the cozy venue, earning a season-high 9.3 (third place). Kruger (9.225) and Haramaras (9.2) placed fourth-fifth on vault. Glenbrook South (fourth place, 129.775) had to compete without a fully healthy Katie Wahl, a junior all-arounder. A head injury limited her to one event, vault (8.4, 16th place).
“You always want to aim toward the end of the season,” Gale says. “We’re doing that. We’ve had some injuries, some owies; we’re not pushing the girls to come back quickly. Come back gradually, slowly … that’s important. I want us healthy before [the Central Suburban League South Meet], before we compete in a regional.
“The girls,” he adds, “have been resilient.”
Titans seniors Miranda DeBow, Maggie Kmiecik, Marlye Jerva and Ella Voss, along with freshmen Chloe Nourbash, Hannah Wittenstein and Genevieve Sanchez, also competed at last weekend’s invite. Haramaras, consummate teammate, roots for them at every meet.
She also cheers for gymnasts from other schools. It’s a tight sorority, girls gymnastics in Illinois.
“I love seeing high scores, from anybody,” Haramaras says. “I know how hard gymnasts work. It’s a great sport, a tough sport. It looks like an individual sport, but it’s not. If I had a bad day in school, gymnastics helps me change my mood. After classes I love to train hard in the gym with my teammates and focus on getting better for my team.”
Notable: Titans sophomore Bebe Haramaras finished second in the all-around (35.85) and first on the balance beam (9.4) in a 134.65-125.95 loss to host Prospect on Jan. 6. Classmate Kylie Kruger took third in the all-around (34.9). … Titans highlights from the Palatine Invitational on Dec. 19: Kruger (first place, vault, 9.25; second place, uneven bars, 9.15; second place, all-around, 36.5); Haramaras (first place, beam, 9.5; fourth place, all-around, 35.075). Glenbrook South finished fourth (128.725) at the eight-team meet. … Titans coach Steve Gale, on Glenbrook South junior Katie Wahl, recovering from another injury in an unforgiving sport: “She does a lot of high-risk skills, and she’s a wonderful girl.”
Glenbrook North
The Spartans finished third (131.175 points) at last weekend’s Evanston Invitational behind Alex Michalak’s fifth-place effort in the all-around (34.35). She also silvered on the balance beam (9.425) and performed a fourth-place 8.325 routine on the uneven bars.
Caroline Blankfield finished second among Spartans in the all-around (eighth place, 33.025), just ahead of teammate Kelly Lazar (ninth, 32.4). Glenbrook North coach Julie Holmbeck’s lineup also included Bridget Billig and Katie Brownlee.
Loyola Academy
The Ramblers’ lone representative at the Evanston Invite, senior Claire Sullivan, placed fourth on beam (9.3) and tied two others for fifth place on the uneven bars (8.3). She finished 10th on beam at the state meet last winter.
Bebe Haramaras competing at Evanston Invite. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER