Phone:
317-846-6601 Fax: 317-575-4244 Website:
www.ihsaa.org
Blake Ress, Commissioner
_____________________________________________________________________________
March 15, 2008
RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCE FOR VALPARAISO GYMNASTS
Valparaiso
accumulated a record number of points and captured a record-tying sixth state
championship in girls gymnastics during the 36th annual state meet
at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis.
Senior Abbey
Sutton tied for the championship in the vault (9.825) and junior Kellie Kidd
won the balance beam (9.725) and claimed all-around honors (38.600) helping Valpo tally 114.225 points. It was the first time a school
had surpassed the 114-point mark in state meet history after Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger had set the previous high of 113.3 in 2006.
The state
championship was the Vikings’ first since 1998 and tied them with Homestead for
most in state history. Valparaiso’s other state titles came in 1981, 1991,
1994, 1997 and 1998. All have come under the leadership of coach Lorie Cook.
Homestead’s last title came in 2001.
Sutton and
Kidd became Valpo’s 15th and 16th
individual state champions and Kidd was the eighth Viking to win the all-around
title, both state-bests.
Sutton tied
Center Grove junior Katelyn Fernandes, who won her
third consecutive championship in the vault, the first individual to win the
vaulting crown three times. Fernandes was the
defending all-around champion but finished third with a score of 38.350 in the
four events.
Juniors
Camille Hayes and Jessica Leko, both of Lawrence
Central, won the uneven bars (9.675) and floor exercise (9.800), respectively.
Fort Wayne Concordia’s Hannah Osborn, the defending champ in the floor,
finished eighth in the event.
Columbus
North claimed the runner-up spot in the team standings with 112.125 points and
was the school’s best finish in the meet since 1987 when they also took second
place. Defending team champion Lawrence Central finished seventh at 105.900.
36th Annual IHSAA
Gymnastics State Finals
March 15, 2008
Perry Meridian High
School, Indianapolis
Final Team Scores
|
1. |
Valparaiso |
114.225 |
|
2. |
Columbus
North |
112.125 |
|
3. |
Center
Grove |
110.300 |
|
4. |
Fort
Wayne Bishop Dwenger |
109.100 |
|
5. |
Chesterton |
109.000 |
|
6. |
Fort
Wayne Concordia Lutheran |
106.750 |
|
7. |
Lawrence
Central |
105.900 |
|
8. |
Noblesville |
99.125 |
State Champions
Vault – (Tie)
Katelyn Fernandes, 11, Center Grove; Abbey Sutton,
12, Valparaiso, 9.825.
Uneven Bars –
Camille Hayes, 10, Lawrence Central, 9.675.
Balance Beam –
Kellie Kidd, 11, Valparaiso, 9.725.
Floor Exercise – Jessica Leko, 10, Lawrence Central, 9.800.
All-Around –
Kellie Kidd, 11, Valparaiso, 38.600.
NOBLESVILLE’S AMY ALBRIGHT NAMED MENTAL ATTITUDE AWARD WINNER
Members of
the IHSAA Executive Committee selected Amy Albright of Noblesville High School
as this year’s winner of the Mildred M. Ball Mental Attitude Award.
Albright,
who was nominated by her principal and coach, was determined to have best
demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability
among all seniors during the meet.
Albright is
a past winner of the school choir’s mental attitude award and is currently a
member of the NHS Singers, the school’s competitive show choir. She is vice
president of the National Honor Society and serves as gymnastics team captain.
Noblesville was making its first team appearance in the gymnastics state finals
this year.
Academically,
she maintains a 4.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale and ranks second in her senior class of
514 students. She plans to study business at either Purdue University or Butler
University.
She is the
daughter of Bob and Coleen Albright of Noblesville.
Following
the meet, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of all IHSAA
tournament events, presented a check for $1,000 to Noblesville High School in
the name of Albright.
The mental
attitude award is named in honor of the former IHSAA assistant commissioner who
served the Association from 1977 to 1997. During her career, Ball administered
the state gymnastics tournament among other sports and also oversaw the
licensing and training of all contest officials in the state of Indiana.
VSN MEANS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY
Visit our friends at Visual Sports Network, the IHSAA’s official photographer for all state championship events and one of the leading action photographers in the Midwest. VSN, which was on site Saturday, has captured hundreds of images from this year’s State Finals and will have them ready for viewing and purchase beginning Monday.
CHAMPIONSHIP MERCHANDISE STILL AVAILABLE
For t-shirts and other merchandise commemorating this year’s tournament or for any of our events, visit our friends at Morris, Inc.
STATE FINALS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE
Couldn’t be there for the state finals? You can still purchase a copy of the official souvenir program while supplies last! Programs are $3.00 if you purchase in person at the IHSAA Office (9150 N. Meridian Street in Indianapolis) or $5.00 by mail (postage included). To order, have your Visa or MasterCard ready and call us at 317-846-6601 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. EST).