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VALPARAISO - Usually, as a team advances deeper and deeper into the postseason, the pressure continues to mount and the nervousness begins to grow. However, according to Warsaw head coach Amanda Campbell, that wasn't the case for her team because of the circumstances surrounding Friday night's gymnastics regional.
"They didn't have as much nervousness as last week," Campbell said in reference to the sectional. "There wasn't as much motivation because they knew they couldn't win this meet and there was a pretty slim chance that they would go on to the state meet."
With defending state champion and No. 1 Valparaiso hosting this meet, along with powers Chesterton and Hobart, both Warsaw and Wawasee knew that the chances of winning were slim.
Sure enough, Valparaiso advanced to the state meet with a score of 108.8, narrowly edging Chesterton, which scored a 108.525. Warsaw struggled to a fourth place finish with 93.9 points, way below the team's normal score throughout the regular season. Wawasee ended fifth with 90.25 points.
"In this kind of competition, our routines don't compare to Valpo's and Chesterton's and Hobart's like we had hoped to," Campbell said. "The judging was a little more conservative. We had a few more mistakes than sectionals, but we still came out on top of Wawasee and Elkhart Central, which was our main goal."
Although Warsaw didn't have the nervous tension that often comes with regional competition, Wawasee head coach Nika Prather saw some of that in her team. After all, the Warriors were stuck in the same rotation as Valpo.
"Overall, it's really intimidating coming in here," Prather said. "When you're in the same rotation as the state champions, it's kind of intimidating."
For Warsaw, this competition means the end of the best season in school history. The Tigers ended with a best-ever 12-2 record and won just their second sectional ever. They also beat Wawasee, their biggest rival, four times this year.
"I could not have been prouder of this team this year," Campbell said. "Just being able to be here representing our school and being here as a team is such a huge accomplishment. I'm not down because we didn't break into the top three. They did a great job."
For the Warriors, this marked the end of a turbulent, injury-plagued year. Wawasee usually has a very strong team as Prather's 124-20 career record shows, but the Warriors could never get into a good flow throughout the season.
"My two seniors never were in a meet together," Prather said. "I would have liked to have seen what they were capable of because I honestly feel that at sectionals, it would have been very close."
Valparaiso will move on to the state meet and the top six individuals in each event will also go on to the state meet next weekend.
VALPARAISO 108.8, CHESTERTON 108.525, HOBART 104.95, WARSAW 93.9, WAWASEE 90.25, ELKHART CENTRAL 87.2
Vault - 1. Fasterd (Merrillville) 9.55, T2. Tipton (Valpo), T2. Melody (Valpo), T4. Urgino (Valpo), T4. Chentnik (Chesterton), 6. Stewart (Portage)
Bars - 1. Covington (Hobart) 9.5, 2. Walters (Chesterton), 3. Stewart (Portage), 4. Fasterd (Merrillville), 5. Tipton (Valpo), 6. Melody (Valpo)
Beam - 1. Tipton (Valpo) 9.55, 2. Laidlaw (Chesterton), 3. Chentnik (Chesterton), 4. Covington (Hobart), 5. Stewart (Portage), 6. Jolliff (Hobart)
Floor - 1. Tipton (Valpo) 9.575, 2. Chentnik (Chesterton), 3. Melody (Valpo), 4. Fasterd (Merrillville), 5. Covington (Hobart), 6. Urgino (Valpo)
All-around - 1. Tipton (Valpo) 37.625, 2. Covington (Hobart), 3. Chentnik (Chesterton), 4. Stewart (Portage), 5. Melody (Valpo), 6. Fasterd (Merrillville)
