MUNCIE — Saturday was a big day for Columbus North junior Emily Moore and a solid day for three other Bull Dog competitors and one Columbus East gymnast.
Moore won the state title on the beam with a 9.725. She also finished third on the bars (9.65) and floor (9.525) and 12th on the vault (9.475) in picking up a second-place finish in the all-around competition with a 38.375.
That led the eighth-ranked Bull Dogs to a sixth-place finish as a team with a 107.85. Valparaiso won with a 111.3, followed by Homestead (110.475), Chesterton (109.9), Lake Central (109.75) and Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger (109.5).
Richmond, which had beaten North in the regional a week earlier, finished eighth with a 105.075.
“We were proud of the way the team did today,” North coach Betsy Warble said. “We’re still very young with no seniors on the team. They have pulled together and really worked hard to be successful. They did exactly what we asked them to do today.”
North junior Madi Edwards finished 24th in the all-around with a 34.95. She was 30th on the bars (8.6), beam (8.525) and floor (8.825) and tied for 33rd on the vault (9.0).
“I think we did really well, considering this year has been tough for us,” Edwards said. “But I think we really pulled through today individually and together.”
Junior Abbi Jacobi took 28th in the all-around with a 33.75. She was 24th on the beam (8.75), 39th on the vault (8.8), tied for 39th on the bars (7.95) and 46th on the floor (8.25).
“I think we all did our best,” Jacobi said. “I think we pulled together as a team really well today, and it reflected it in our team placement.”
Sophomore Lindsey Mullis finished 29th in the all-around with a 33.55. She was 31st on the bars (8.475) and 39th on the floor (8.5), tied for 42nd on the vault (8.6) and took 44th on the beam (7.975).
“I think we started off really strong, which helped us,” Mullis said.
Meanwhile, Columbus East senior Taylen Lane had to wait through most of the competition before going at the end of the third rotation. She scored an 8.225 to finish 39th.
“It was a long wait, but the group that I was with was really encouraging, so that helped a lot, coming back from sitting for so long,” Lane said. “I could tell where I was a little shaky, just with the environment being state and everything. But other than that, I thought it was a decent routine.”
Lane, who was making her fourth state-meet appearance, had qualified for as an individual. It was only her third meet of the season after missing the entire regular season because of a concussion she sustained at practice in late December.
“She’s come back from a concussion, and to come here and do what she’s done, and to get in and do what she’s done in about four weeks is still pretty good without having a full season back behind her,” East co-coach Melissa Dishinger said. “We had fun today, and I think that was really the main goal.”
“For her only having four weeks to get back and to get up there and do a solid routine without a fall was good,” East co-coach Katie Menefee added. “To do it at the state meet and finish out her career here was good.”
