Chesterton gymnastics comes within a fraction of a point of Portage in a dual meet as Mia Szczepanski enjoys her senior night

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

As the dual meet Wednesday between Chesterton and Portage was about to wrap up, meet director Mike Bachuchin took the microphone, walked to the edge of the floor mat and said, “If I can direct everyone’s attention to the floor, performing her senior floor routine is Mia Szczepanski.”
The first-year gymnast appreciated the gesture on her senior night at Bailly Elementary, the first time she had ever performed all four events in a meet. Mia is the lone senior on this year’s team.
“It felt really good,” Szczepanski said. “I had all my teammates cheering me on and it just felt really good because it was my last home meet.”
Not many gymnasts come out for the sport for the first time as seniors.
“I did it when I was little and I always wanted to do it again and then I have friends on the team and they pushed me to try it for my senior year,” she said.
“I’m glad I did. I gained closer friendships with the girls on the team as well.”
Szczepanski also expressed gratitude toward head coach Christy Dzierba and assistants Jordan Kearby, Jordan Bush and Caitlyn Cook, calling them “really great.”
Sczepanski competed for the JV and until Wednesday limited her events to the floor exercise and balance beam. She placed fourth in the JV competition in the beam Wednesday, scoring a 6.125 and was fourth in the bars with a 4.500.
Portage won the varsity competition, 101.3-100.700, a margin of a mere sixth-tenths of a point.
Chesterton junior Sammie Bostner won all four events and was more than two points ahead of the field in the all-around standings.
She scored 9.650 in the floor exercise, 9.575 on the beam, 9.550 on the vault and 9.075 on the bars.
Portage took the next four places in the all-around and Trojans freshman Leah Douglass placed sixth with a 31.550 score. Douglass placed fourth in the vault (8.450) and sixth in the bars competition (7.450).
The Trojans return to Bailly on Saturday for the DAC championships. Doors open at 11 a.m. for the competition that starts at noon.