Wawasee’s Kim Garber performed her floor routine at Friday night’s Valparaiso Gymnastics Regional. (Photo by Mike Deak)

VALPARAISO — It’s been a great run for Wawasee senior Kim Garber. Unfortunately, there was just too much talent in front of her Friday night at the Valparaiso Gymnastics Regional.

Garber worked in the seventh block of performers on the floor Friday night, wedged between area studs Alex Nickel of Angola and Holly Lehman of Elkhart Central. Nickel scored a 9.55 ahead of Garber, which put the pressure on Garber to keep up. After landing her first pass, Garber stepped out of bounds, personifying what would culminate an 8.525 score, placing Garber 25th overall. Lehman followed up with an 8.95, taking 14th place. Nickel would tie for fifth.

“We were really proud of her,” said Wawasee head coach Nika Prather from the team hotel in Valparaiso. “It was a very reasonable score considering her performance flaws. It was no comparison to her sectional routine, though. Had she performed like that here, she would have been in the nines.”

Garber reached the regional by landing an 8.8 on the floor as one of the first routines of the Wawasee Sectional last Saturday. The score held throughout the meet, and after the chalk dust settled, Garber placed fifth to gain an automatic berth in the regional. Her appearance Friday night was the first regional performance of Garber’s career.

Winning floor at Valpo was hometown superstar Morgan Algozine, the reigning all-around state champion. Algozine didn’t disappoint Friday night in front of her home crowd, tying the Portage duo of Danielle Solis and Mackenzie Barcelli for honors with 9.75s. Algozine also won vault with a 9.8, beam at 9.775 and was second on bars with her 9.725, runner-up to Kylee Maxwell of Morgan Township’s 9.8.

Algozine set a Valparaiso school record with a 39.05 all-around score and sets up next weekend as the gymnast to beat at the IHSAA State Finals, set for next Saturday at Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State University.

Nickel advanced to state in all four events with her 37.7 all-around score and Hamilton’s Alex Cool was one-tenth back of Nickel at 37.6, finishing third and fourth, respectively. Both competitors were one-two at the Wawasee Sectional in the all-around scoring and had a say in all five championships.

VALPARAISO REGIONAL
*Top two teams and top six athletes advance to the state finals
1. Valparaiso 113.575
2. Portage 112.400
3. Crown Point 106.450
4. Angola 103.825
5. Plymouth 100.750
6. DeKalb 99.50

Bars
1. Kylee Maxwell, Morgan Township 9.8; 2. Morgan Algozine, Valparaiso 9.725; 3. Hannah Erwin, Valparaiso 9.55; 4. Brandi Tuzinski, Chesterton 9.4; 5. Ashley Koza, Michigan City 9.35; 6. Mackenzie Barcelli, Portage 9.325; 8. Lia Milroy, Valparaiso and Cassi Quissel, Plymouth 9.05; 15. Nicky Davis, Plymouth 8.775; 17. Holly Lehman, Elkhart Central 8.4; 26. Traci Longanecker, Plymouth 6.35; 28. Brycelyn Garza, Plymouth 6.025

Beam
1. Morgan Algozine, Valparaiso 9.775; 2. Alex Nickel, Angola 9.75; 3. Alex Cool, Hamilton 9.6; 4. Mackenzie Barcelli, Portage 9.5; 5. Hannah Erwin, Valparaiso and Kylee Maxwell, Morgan Township 9.35; 15. Holly Lehman, Elkhart Central 8.825; 19. Cassi Quissel, Plymouth 8.25; 21. Nicky Davis, Plymouth 8.175; 27. Karly Gruett, Plymouth 7.4; 29. Traci Longanecker, Plymouth 7.15

Floor
1. Morgan Algozine, Valparaiso, Danielle Solis, Portage and Mackenzie Barcelli, Portage 9.75; 4. Alex Cool, Hamilton 9.675; 5. Hannah Best, Crown Point, Madison Kurtz, Portage and Alex Nickel, Angola 9.55; 13. Cassi Quissel, Plymouth 9.15; 14. Holly Lehman, Elkhart Central 8.95; 19. Traci Longanecker, Plymouth and Nicki Davis, Plymouth 8.75; 25. Kim Garber, Wawasee 8.525; 28. Karly Gruett, Plymouth 7.825

Vault
1. Morgan Algozine, Valparaiso 9.8; 2. Danielle Solis, Portage 9.675; 3. Madison Kurtz, Portage 9.575; 4. Alex Nickel, Angola 9.5; 5. Mackenzie Barcelli, Portage and Kylee Maxwell, Morgan Township 9.45; 11. Rushelle Miller, Valparaiso and Nicky Davis, Plymouth 9.175; 17. Cassi Quissell, Plymouth 8.7; 18. Caitlin Yoder, Lakeland 8.475; 20. Holly Lehman, Elkhart Central 8.55; 22. Chloe Sturdivant, Lakeland 8.475; 25. Rachel Principe, Plymouth 8.025; 27. Traci Longanecker, Plymouth and Dayanara Ellis, Angola 8.025

All-Around
1. Morgan Algozine, Valparaiso 39.05; 2. Mackenzie Barcelli, Portage 38.025; 3. Alex Nickel, Angola 37.7; 4. Alex Cool, Hamilton 37.6; 5. Hannah Erwin, Valparaiso 37.425; 6. Kylee Maxwell, Morgan Township 37.4; 10. Cassi Quissell, Plymouth 35.15; 12. Nicky Davis, Plymouth 34.875; 13. Holly Lehman, Elkhart Central 34.725; 20. Traci Longanecker, Plymouth 30.275