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Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger’s depth propelled it to the team title and Valparaiso’s Morgan Algozine won the All-Around competition during the IHSAA Girls Gymnastics State Finals at Worthen Arena in Muncie.

It was Bishop Dwenger’s fifth gymnastics state title under coach Rose Nix, its first since 2006 and ended Valparaiso’s record four-year stranglehold on the team title. The No. 5 Saints finished with 112.550 points while top-ranked Valpo finished second with 111.975 points. Roncalli was third with 108.600.

The Saints didn’t collect any individual titles but had four different gymnasts finish in the top six of three events. Sophomore Katy Linvill placed second on the floor exercise (9.6) and third in the bars (9.575) to finish third in the all-around competition (3.575). Brittany Trahin took second in the vault (9.8), Kaitlyn Coffee was fourth in the vault (9.625) and Carrie Brown claimed fifth in the bars (9.475).

Algozine placed second in the bars, an event she won last year, but won two other events on her way to the all-around crown (38.750). The junior set a state finals record with a 9.95 score on the vault, the highest score ever in any event in the 40-year history of the state finals, and also carried the floor exercise with a 9.675.

Angola sophomore Alex Nickel made a name for herself winning the bars (9.750) and the beam (9.60).

Huntington North’s Jessica Baker, the defending champion in beam, finished third this time (9.525).

40th Annual IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals
March 17, 2012
Worthen Arena, Ball State University, Muncie, IN

Final Team Scores

1.    Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger: 112.550
2.    Valparaiso: 111.975
3.    Roncalli: 108.600
4.    Portage: 108.425
5.    Seymour: 107.425
6.    Columbus North: 105.600
7.    Homestead: 104.425
8.    Franklin Central: 103.700

State Champions
All-Around: Morgan Algozine, 11, Valparaiso, 38.750.
Vault: Morgan Algozine, 11, Valparaiso, 9.95.
Uneven Bars: Alex Nickel, 10, Angola, 9.750.
Balance Beam: Alex Nickel, 10, Angola, 9.60.
Floor Exercise: Mogan Algozine, 11, Valparaiso, 9.675.

Roncalli Twins Cassandra & Kaitlyn Schultheis Share Mental Attitude Award
Following the event, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named twin sisters Cassandra (Cassie) and Kaitlyn (Kaitie) Schultheis of Roncalli High School as the recipient of the Mildred M. Ball Mental Attitude Award.

The award is presented annually to a senior participant in the state finals who is deemed to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in gymnastics.

Athletically, both are expected to earn their 12th varsity letters this school year earning four each in cross country, gymnastics and track and field.

Cassie and Kaitlyn each maintain a 4.4 GPA on a 4.0 scale, are National Merit Scholars and have taken numerous AP and Honors level courses. Both are planning to study Pharmacy at either Butler University or the University of Kentucky.

They are the daughters of Todd and Sandee Schultheis of Indianapolis.

This is the third instance in IHSAA history that a set of twins have shared an IHSAA mental attitude award. Tom and Dick VanArsdale of Indianapolis Manual won during the 1961 boy basketball state finals and Jon and Don McGlocklin of Franklin Community won during the 1974 boys basketball state finals.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of all IHSAA state championship events, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Roncalli High School in the name of the Schultheis sisters.

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.