The Valparaiso Vikings continued their dominance of Northwest Indiana gymnastics on Saturday by winning the Chesterton Sectional with a team score of 113.375. Valpo has extended its sectional championship streak to nine by virtue of its performance Saturday afternoon in the Chesterton fieldhouse.
The Vikings advance to Friday’s Valparaiso Regional where they will look for their fourth straight title. Second place Portage and third place Chesterton also qualified for the regional, but neither team was close to overtaking Valpo, which is ranked No. 1 in the state of Indiana. Twelve different schools were represented in the sectional, ten of which had full teams.
A week after winning the Duneland Athletic Conference meet at Chesterton, the Valpo girls continued to solidify their status as the best team in the state. The Vikings were undefeated during the regular season including a thrilling victory in Portage in February, the closest Valpo came to losing all year. The sectional was loaded with talent, featuring seven of the top 20 teams in the Indiana Coaches’ Poll including No. 1 Valparaiso, No. 2 Portage and No. 6 Chesterton.
Junior Morgan Algozine had a banner day, winning the all-around with a score of 38.7. She also placed first on all four events, winning the vault with a 9.85, the bars with a 9.575, the beam with a 9.625 and the floor with a 9.65.
Senior Allie Lazerwitz also contributed to the Viking victory by tying for third on vault with a 9.45 and placing fourth on bars with a 9.275. Allyson Kraft, also a senior, recorded a 9.4 to place fifth on vault and a 9.225 to finish sixth on beam. Junior Hannah Erwin was third on bars with a 9.3, third on floor with a 9.575 and fifth on beam with a 9.
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As a team the Vikings were consistent, posting strong scores in each event. They placed first on vault with a 28.7, first on bars with a 28.150, first on beam with a 28.175 and second on floor with a 28.350.
Valparaiso has established a gymnastics program that has been strong year in and year out. The Vikings are in search of an unprecedented fifth consecutive state championship. The top two teams from Friday night’s regional at VHS, which starts at 6:00, will advance to state. The state meet will take place at Ball State University in Muncie, IN at Noon Central Time on Saturday March 17.
Click here for a full photo gallery from Saturday's Sectional meet!