INDIANAPOLIS -- Chesterton gymnastics coach Kathy Wilburn knew her team was fortunate to advance out of last week's team regional with a score of 109.650.
So her team refocused for Saturday's state championships at Perry Meridian High School and the No. 3 Trojans surprised many by earning state runner-up accolades with a 111.500 score -- finishing just more than two points behind state champion and conference rival Valparaiso's score of 113.575.
The 111.500 score is also the ninth-most ever scored in state championship history, placing right ahead of Chesterton's own mark of 111.350 set in its 2001-02 state championship season.
"I thought we had just a wonderful performance," Wilburn said. "They came out here as a team -- we had a couple mistakes here and there, but these kids were so united as a team that they just looked at the big picture. I'm just so proud of them."
Chesterton junior gymnast Callie Kuehl said that while her team didn't expect to come into the state finals as the favorites, she was very pleased with the result.
"I think that we came into the meet wanting to get second place," Kuehl said. "I think that we always believed, but in reality, we didn't really expect for it to happen -- and I'm so happy that it did."
Kuehl's individual highlight of the day came in the uneven parallel bars event when she earned the Trojans' sole medalist honor of the day with a 9.600, good enough for third place.
For Chesterton, which has 17 out of 18 total spots returning next season from this year's vault, uneven parallel bars, balance beam, floor exercise and all-around participants, state title hopes are high for next season.
"We're going to enjoy this for a week," Wilburn said, "And then start preparing for next year."
Around the mats
Valparaiso and Chesterton weren't the only schools with local talent in Saturday's girls gymnastics state championships.
Individually, Portage junior Ashley Farley participated in the vault, freshman Abaigale Light represented No. 7 LaPorte in the balance beam, and Crown Point's Trisha Eberly and Merrillville's Diana Milenkovski competed in floor exercise.
Eberly finished No. 25 overall in the floor exercise with a score of 9.200, while Milenkovski was seven spots behind her with a 8.925.
Farley was the closest of the four to receive a medal by placing seventh in the vault with a 9.500 score -- .075 points away from sixth-place finisher Caitlyn Catania of Hagerstown.
Light, meanwhile, placed No. 19 in the balance beam with a score of 8.775 in her first-ever state competition.
"It was very exciting to be out here for my first time and get my feet in the water to see how everything goes," said Light, who scored 9.450 in the balance beam in the sectional and 9.350 in the regional. "It was indescribable -- I was really nervous."
Asked if she wouldn't mind making a return trip to the state championships next year, Light was quick to respond.
"Definitely," she said. "And hopefully we can come back as a team."
