Girls Gymnastics: Morgan Algozine, Valparaiso cruise to title

Updated: March 3, 2012 10:52PM

CHESTERTON — A fast start had a snowball effect for Valparaiso, which then buried its opponents under an avalanche of points at the Chesterton Sectional.

The Vikings posted team scores over 28 in every event, capturing the sectional championship with an overall score of 113.375 — a season high for the team. Portage finished in second with a score of 110.925, while Chesterton’s mark of 106 was third. Those three teams advanced to Friday’s Valparaiso Regional.

“It was nice to get a lead right from the start,” said Cook, whose squad began the day with a meet-high bars score of 28.15. “It was good to see that we maintained our focus and built off of that momentum.”

“I think we just got more and more energy after each event,” said junior Hannah Erwin, who posted third-place scores on bars and floor. “It’s a great feeling to know that you’re actually doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”

Valparaiso junior Morgan Algozine dominated the individual competition, winning all five events and posting an all-around score of 38.7.

“She had an awesome meet from start to finish,” said Cook. “It was great to see her perform to her capabilities.”

“This win gives me a lot of confidence to move to the next round,” said Algozine, who was frequently thanking her teammates for their support. “And it helps me realize, now that I’ve done it, that I can do it again.”

Portage’s second-place finish featured a meet-high score of 28.425 on floor and a 28.275 score on vault, which was second to Valparaiso. But head coach Karen Barcelli said her team has plenty of room to improve.

“We still have some things that we need to clean up because we’re capable of reaching 29 in those events,” she said. “This wasn’t a very high-scoring meet for us.”

Gymnasts who qualified for regionals individually included: LaPorte’s Abbey Light in all five events and Washington Township’s Cassidy Feldsien on beam.

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