On Wednesday, Feb. 5 the Oswego and Oswego East co-op gymnastics team, or the Oswego “Wanthers” — a mix between the two school mascots the Wolves and Panthers — as they like to call themselves, hosted the regional gymnastics meet. The team competed against Hinsdale Central, Naperville North, and Homewood Flossmoor. They had a team score of 143.3 and took their third consecutive regional win.
Head Coach, Michael Borge, also known as Coach Mike, started gymnastics himself when he was in highschool and competed at the collegiate level. He took a break from the sport until recently when he returned in 2021 to be Oswego’s assistant coach. Borge noted that there are some areas the team can improve moving into sectionals but overall was happy with the results.
“There were a couple mistakes that we had tonight that I would like to, and I know that we have the capacity to, go back and do a better job with. But that said, you know, 143.3 I can’t complain,” Borge said.
The girls have had a great season so far breaking multiple school records and placing first at their conference meet Feb. 1. They made it clear that the postseason meets would be no different with some of the girls setting a goal to give it their all and have fun while doing it.
Junior, Gabriella Schulte, was relieved to secure a win at conference and had a positive attitude going into regionals.
“We carry the momentum from that win and just use it as a positive effect to help our mindsets throughout practice and for the upcoming competitions,” Schulte said.
Earlier in the season the Varsity team scored a 145.9, the highest their coach has seen in his 4 years coaching at the school. However, their success doesn’t come without struggles and nerves have been a big one.
Coach Mike is extremely proud of how the girls have performed all season and is looking forward to finishing this season but also recognizes how they need to continue working on calming the team nerves. l
“We’re working on managing some things in terms of maturity and nerves. Today we saw a little bit of that where some nerves came in,” Borge said. “So it was like alright, ‘How do we respond?’ But the team did a really good job of managing it so ideally we have to run it back a few more times.”
The girls feel the nerves as well but have found their own unique way to manage them before meets, through fidgets. Fidgets are small toys or objects people can play with to help them stay calm or focused. While they don’t have many other pre-meet rituals Schulte and the other girls enjoy playing with fidgets to help center themselves.
“We have silly fidgets that we mess around with to keep us focused or to get our mind off other things that could affect us during the meet,” Schulte said.
This quirky pre-meet routine reflects the team’s attitude as a whole. The girls credit each other for being extremely supportive and always having fun together. Gabriella Schulte is always happy to be with her team because of this positive environment that has been created.
“Our team dynamic as a whole is so fantastic,” Schulte said. “We are all very energetic and love to watch our teammates succeed and just have so much fun.”
Senior, Addison Murray, echoed her teammates’ thoughts and has appreciated being surrounded by people that care for her throughout the past three years.
“The dynamic of this team is almost indescribable,” Murray said. “We all just love to be with each other and support each other and we all mean the world to each other.”
Junior, Alyson Zieba, started off the season with a concussion that kept her out for multiple weeks but she still showed up to support her team with a positive mindset. Zieba was luckily cleared to return just before the conference meet and is thrilled to be back to competing with her team as well.
“As upset as I am that I missed almost the entire season, I am beyond happy that I am able to compete in these last couple meets and I really enjoyed watching my teammates succeed as individuals and a team,” Zieba said.
While the girls play a major role in creating this support system their coaches are also largely to credit for it. Zieba recognizes the support her coach provides to continue to cheer her and her teammates on.
“Mike is one of the most supportive coaches I know and am so grateful that he’s our coach,” Zieba said. “He always gives us pep talks and makes sure to lift us up no matter what.”
Coach Mike is extremely passionate about his job as a coach and loves watching the gymnasts grow as people which is why he pushes them to not only do their best but also support everyone else who is also doing great.
“One of my mantras is that what makes gymnastics unique is that every kid can have their best day on the same day,” Borge said. “Your best day has no bearing on my best day, so that’s fantastic. I try to make that a priority because that yields so many dividends outside of the gym as well.”
Another fun way Coach Mike encourages the girls to work hard and keep their spirits high is through his attire. He can be spotted at each meet wearing a colorful bow tie, a ritual that started as a joke when he bought an orange bow tie in March 2024 and said he was saving it for the State meet in 2025. That bowtie is now taped on the wall in the gym to serve as a reminder as the athletes continue to work towards their personal goals and competing at state.
This fun tradition has become a staple for the gymnasts and reflects the coaches overall positive mindset. It is appreciated by the girls as this has had a positive impact on their performance and attitude.
Schulte is one of the girls who has recognized the positive impact and emphasized the growth she has seen this season.
“This season as a whole I felt like we have improved so much as a team compared to last season,” Schulte said. “I feel that we are so ready for the next couple competitions, in such a great mindset, and overall just happy to be here together and I believe we will do just as awesome next year.”
For Senior Addison Murray however, there isn’t a next season as the end of her high school gymnastic career is approaching. But as she looks back she appreciates the effort she has seen from all her teammates to make her last season a good one.
“This season has been so amazing. This team is so special and everything we’ve accomplished has been a group effort,” Murray said. “It has taken every single person on this team to do what we’ve done.”
Their coach is optimistic about the next season as he knows there’s so much talent in the program and younger girls will be able to showcase their talent even more in the future years.
“I think we’re positioned to do really well next year. I think a lot of coaches don’t realize how many hitters we’re not giving so much space to that we could put in and would be very high level athletes,” Borge said. “Because of the depth that we have I don’t have enough space to give this year so I’m excited about what they get to step into next year.”
While the future for the Oswego “Wanthers” looks promising, their season is not over yet. The qualifiers from regionals will be competing in Sectionals at Hinsdale Central High School on Monday Feb. 10.
Written by Senior Jordan Fikis . Edited by staff writers for Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.