Alyona Jochaniewicz is a junior at Oak Park and River Forest High School and one of the best gymnasts in school history. On Feb. 19, she will be the first Huskie in over 20 years to compete in the all-around competition at the state meet in Palatine
Born in Russia, Jochaniewicz was adopted at age 6 by Tony and Stephanie Jochaniewicz, who introduced their only child to gymnastics.
“I’m glad I’m here. I’m thankful for everything I have.”
Jochaniewicz has a lot going for her, from the love and support of her parents and teammates to a joy for the sport that is matched only by her work ethic.
“Alyona utilizes her time so well,” said OPRF coach Kris Wright said, who requires all of her gymnasts to successfully complete two routines on each apparatus at every practice. “She can get into the gym and hit her routines right away.
“She can hit the two, get on another event and hit the two. She’s our most focused gymnast. She knows what she’s got to get done and she gets right to it, just takes care of business right away.”
Hitting routines cold is unusual at the high school level and Jochaniewicz constantly amazes her teammates with her ability to rip through practice.
“She knows what she wants to do and she goes and does it,” OPRF senior Riley Patnode said. “She will go through everything bam, bam, bam, and finish four events and we’re like, ‘Wow, she just did that.’
“I’m so proud of her. She’s so strong.”
Patnode meant that literally and in a metaphysical sense. In addition to overcoming her early hardship, Jochaniewicz has dealt with a variety of injuries common to gymnastics.
Already a two-time sectional qualifier coming into the season, Jochaniewicz was rolling as the regular season ended, posting a career-high 36.25 all-around score on Senior Night. But she suffered a concussion during practice, forcing her to miss the West Suburban Silver meet, and then sprained a finger on beam just before regionals.
Jochaniewicz would not let that stop her as she scored 35.575 to finish third at the Glenbard East Regional and advance to the Glenbard West Sectional, where she scored 35.825 to earn an at-large state berth.
“I think it’s amazing to know that my hard work has really paid off and I’m so proud of myself,” Jochaniewicz said. “Being with this team is so amazing and it really helps me to get through everything.”
But where does her talent come from?
“I don’t know where I got it,” Jochaniewicz said. “Maybe my mom had it in her, so I guess I just had it in me. I just love the sport.”
Indeed, Jochaniewicz’s career is far from over. Wright said Jochaniewicz has plans to upgrade her skills, adding a double back on floor, another release move on bars and a flip-flop, layout, step out on beam and increase the difficulty of her vault.
“She’s an amazing gymnast,” Wright said. “She’s got the skills.
“She has another couple big skills that she’d like to get in for next year, so her summer is kind of planned out. She knows what her goals are and it’s just getting her to believe that she belongs here, that she’s just as good as these other girls.”
Jochaniewicz has no plans to stop competing any time soon.
“I really want to do college gymnastics,” she said. “It just seems like so much fun, so I want to experience it. (The key) is just to find the right college for me education-wise and gymnastics-wise.”
Ultimately, Jochaniewicz wants to coach gymnastics and own her own gym. It would allow her to stay connected to the sport she loves and give back to a community which has embraced her and taught her how to deal with challenges.
“The people I have around me, my friends, always help me,” Jochaniewicz said. “(No matter what the problem is), just smile every day and you’ll get through it.”
*For sectional coverage and results of the OPRF gymnastics team, visit www.oakpark.com.
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