12/28 – 12/29/13
THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
sports
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27
Renaissance girl
Gymnastics, golf, horseback riding, entrepreneurism … Cornell-bound Ablin does it all ■ by bill mclean
sports@northshoreweekend.com Well before her first day in kindergarten, Emily Ablin often raised her hand enthusiastically and answered a teacher’s questions. The student-teacher ratio back then was a ditching-class-would-be-oh-so-conspicuous 1:1. Ablin’s teacher had not earned one college credit. But she had an excuse. Elise Ablin — Emily’s big sister/in-house teacher — was about 8 years old. “My sister [now 20] played teacher at home,” recalls Emily, now a senior gymnast and co-captain at Highland Park High School. “I was her student. I really enjoyed those times.” On Dec. 16, Elise’s star pupil returned home from gymnastics practice, checked her email and learned Cornell University had accepted her as an early-decision candidate. The question that demands an answer now: Will a thankful, Ivy League-bound Emily — a future operations research and information engineering major — plop bushels of apples on Elise’s desk? Emily Ablin skipped a grade at an early age; it’s what bright ones do. She then started acing gymnastics challenges, working tirelessly and performing her way to that of a Level-8 competitor. Elise, meanwhile, turned to horses. Emily later followed suit. “Every little sister wants to be like her big sister,” Emily says. Emily has three horses: Dylan, 7; Esperado, 9; and Scottie, 12. They eat oats and hit the hay in a stable in Wadsworth. Emily competed at an equestrian competition (hunter jumping) in St. Louis in mid-December. She and her four-legged teammates took first overall. “Horses are sweet animals,” says Ablin, the Giants’ top all-arounder since her sophomore season. “It’s easy to connect with them, and they’re so energetic.” Shortly after returning to Illinois, Ablin — minus the boots, minus the helmet — won the all-around (34.2) and two events (uneven bars, 8.3; and floor exercise, 8.75) in a gymnastics dual meet at Deerfield High School on Dec. 17. “She’s having a great season,” says HP’s first-year varsity gymnastics coach, Jose Salazar, alluding to Ablin’s runner-up efforts in the all-around and on bars at the Wheeling Invite on Dec. 6, as well as Ablin’s fifth-place 8.7 bars routine at the Rolling Meadows Invite the next night. “But what really impresses me is how smart she is as a gymnast; she knows this sport so well. If, in the middle of a routine, something doesn’t go right for her, she knows exactly what [to add] to make up for what happened earlier.” Injuries to Ablin’s ankles subtracted her presence from meets for most of the 2012-13 season. The day after the Giants’ season opener, Ablin worked on whip backs on floor at practice. She suffered ligament and muscle damage. Ablin would not be able to compete again until the Central Suburban League North Meet in January. The time off tested her patience and hindered her conditioning. But her talent stuck around. Talent helped her stick events at the big meets. Ablin silvered on bars at the league meet and then qualified for two events at a sectional meet. “Emily would have qualified for state in something, had she not been injured for all those weeks,” Salazar says. Ablin is counting on an uninterrupted senior season. So far, so … injury-free. Her floor music is livelier this winter, “classical and more upbeat than what I used last year,” she says. Her bars show features a straddle back and giants-to-a-half dismount. “It’s going to be really sad, not having Emily around next season,” says HP junior and co-captain Bianca Oviedo. “Her floor [routine] … it’s technically outstanding, and her tumbling is beautiful. She’s very clean and sharp. “And she’s an intense gymnast,” Oviedo adds. “Emily is always focused, always All-around gymnast — and teen: Highland Park High School’s Emily Ablin performs her floor exercise routine during a dual meet against Deerfield. out there to win.” Ablin also played varsity golf at Highland Park. photography by joel lerner Her summer of 2013 was a super-busy one particularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays: Morning — golf. Invite on Dec. 19. Ablin was not allowed to compete because her average marks in all Afternoon — riding. four events were too high. Night — club gymnastics practice at Lake Forest-based Flips, from 5-9 p.m. But she showed up anyway, to encourage her teammates, to cheer for her teammates, “I drove a lot,” Ablin says, referring to time in a car, not time with a certain golf club. to impart timely advice for her teammates, to even do … homework. She listened to a lot of music in transit, too. “Funny story,” Salazar says. “I told Emily yesterday that she wouldn’t be able to com“Country, pop, hip-hop,” Ablin says. “I like variety when I’m driving.” pete at the meet. Guess what she said? She said, to her teammates, ‘I’d be happy to do Ablin is not only a crack athlete and student. She is also a businesswoman — a third- your homework for you.’ ” year businesswoman. Notable: Ablin also finished second on vault (8.55) and on the balance beam (8.6) at Ablin owns Pony Diva Bows. She makes and sells a variety of equestrian, cheer and the CSL North dual at Deerfield Dec. 17. … Highland Park sophomore Avery Spitz won casual-wear bows for girls. the beam segment (8.15) and finished sixth on bars (7.45) at the “Star is Born” Invite. “I use Facebook and a website [to market the company],” she says. “I have a million Oviedo silvered on beam (8.1), and Giants junior Ellie Maites performed a personal-best 7.0 on floor. HP took ninth (79.85). “The meet went very well for us, considering we had business cards.” She knew she would have plenty of free time at the “Star is Born” Invite at Niles West only three girls competing per event,” Salazar noted. ■