Merrillville Gary Post Tribune

 

CHESTERTON -- A Kidd led them.

Sparked by senior Kellie Kidd, Valparaiso went where no gymnastics team in the state had ever gone before.

The Vikings scored a state-record 115.075 to keep its sectional gymnastics crown Saturday. Host Chesterton had a school-record 113.575 for second on a day filled with records. Merrillville edged LaPorte for the final spot in Friday's regional.

Kidd showed why she's defending state all-around champion with firsts in vault, bars (both 9.75) and floor exercise with a near-perfect 9.9975 score. That's a school and sectional record as is her 39.0 all-around total.

"Needless to say we're ecstatic," beamed Valparaiso coach Lorie Cook. "Wow! It's fantastic." Her team set the state mark (114.8) last year. "We were definitely capable of 115, that was our goal all year. We got it, now we have to go higher."

The consistent Vikings counted no score lower than 9.075 in all four events.

Valparaiso broke open a close race when the Trojans got 27.675 on bars as Valparaiso shut the door on floor. The Vikings' leadoff on floor, Kaitlyn Neis, got a 9.325. It was tossed as the scores soared from there. Emily Holmen and Steffanie Long tied at 9.85, career bests, to set the stage for Kidd.

Kidd danced, leaped and twisted her way to a flawless 9.975.

"I was so excited," she said. "Our team was great with two 9.85s ahead of me. I really wanted to hit and keep the scores going up."

Feeling no pressure, Kidd said she got great advice from fellow senior Holmen. "She told me to just have fun and I did, performing for the crowd."

Floor scores for top gymnasts went through the roof. Valparaiso's 29.675 on floor is a school best, as was Chesterton's 29.65 on its final event. Liz Kozak's 9.775 didn't even count as Sam Wilburn got 9.8, Callie Kuehl 9.9 and Kelley Freeman 9.95, all personal bests. The 9.95 tied LaPorte freshman Abbey Light for second.

"We had awesome floors, our kids were real clean and tumbled well," Cook said. "We've worked real hard for depth this year. Our first up is very capable."

The Vikings and Trojans had clean routines with high skills but one ex-coach noted floor marks overall were high. Six of the 10 teams scored 28-plus on floor. Merrillville's four all got personal bests, led by junior Diona Milenkovski's 9.65.

Once Valparaiso clinched, with a meet-best 28.9 on vault, its girls celebrated in a hallway.

"We screamed, danced around and did team cheers," Kidd said.

Kidd's 39.0 all-around, one point from perfection, broke assistant coach Angie Cook's school record 38.975.

"I told (her) her records are there to break," Cook said.

Holmen was third on bars, fourth A-A and fifth on vault, beam and floor with a personal best 9.85 on floor. Freshman Long was second on vault (9.65) and tied for fifth A-A.

"We knew we could do it (115)," Holmen said. "It feels amazing. Neis gave us a great start on floor. When she nailed her second vault we kind of knew we had the record. The key is to enjoy what you're doing and have fun."

Pirates coach Diane Roberts was "so happy. It's been four years since we made regional. We've struggled with so many injuries the last few years. We had just enough depth to nip LaPorte." Senior Arien Taylor filled in on floor for Tiffany Leicht who injured a knee on vault.

The No. 7-ranked Slicers beat the No. 10 Pirates in a dual and at the Duneland Conference meet.