January was a tough month for senior Una Farrell, but February has been awfully sweet so far for the Lincoln-Way co-op gymnast.

Farrell, a Lincoln-Way West student, fought through illnesses last month and got healthy just in time to turn in a strong performance at the Sandburg Sectional, helping Lincoln-Way co-op advance to state as a team for a second straight season.

“I was sick three times in January,” Farrell said. “I’m not even sure what I had, if it was the flu or what, but I couldn’t shake it. It was a bit of a rough patch. I missed one meet, and I was sick when I competed at regionals.

“I didn’t have as much time to prepare for sectionals this year, but I was ready.”

At sectionals, Farrell finished fourth in all-around (36.125), third on beam (9.3) and tied for fifth on floor (9.025) to qualify in three events. She led Lincoln-Way to its third sectional title in program history.

Lincoln-Way will look to improve on last year’s sixth-place finish when the state meet begins Friday at Palatine.

Farrell said getting back to state with her team is especially rewarding after what has been a trying season.

“We’ve been through a lot this season with some injuries and setbacks,” she said. “There was a lot of pressure on us this year, after making it as a team last year, to get back.

“To see us push through to the end and fight for the spot we deserve, it’s just amazing. It means a lot to us.”

Lincoln-Way coach Kim Lago called Farrell a clutch performer who sets the tone for her teammates.

“It’s very valuable to have a girl like Una in these types of postseason settings,” Lago said. “She can usually handle the pressure, and that’s awesome. She can go out there and show the younger girls how to do it.”

Farrell began competing in gymnastics in first grade, following in the footsteps of older sister Fionnuala, who competed in the sport in grade school but not in high school.

“I’d go watch her meets and see her win these medals, and I thought that was so cool,” Una Farrell said. “I was jealous, and I definitely wanted to be like her.”

Since then, Farrell has earned plenty of medals of her own.

Friday will mark her fourth appearance at state. She finished 20th in the all-around last year. She has yet to qualify for Saturday’s event finals.

“It’s a big goal to make it to the second day,” Farrell said. “I want to push harder and get there. I just have to focus on my routines, work really hard preparing and hope for the best.”

Farrell said for her and her teammates, the pressure is off this weekend.

“This year, for me, I felt like I’d been to state all three years, so I better qualify again,” she said. “Now that I have, it’s like there’s nothing to lose.

“The whole team, we can relax now and just go for it. We’ve got some newer skills that we haven’t used because we were playing it safe. Now we’re going to throw it all out there.”

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.