Leadoff hitter McKee provides offensive punch for Chesterton softball team

Mallory McKee wasn't initially enamored about being a leadoff hitter until she realized the prospects of extra plate appearances.

Valparaiso's Willing a crucial part of tennis team's success

Rachel Willing remembers sitting in the stands watching her big brother Collin play tennis for Valparaiso.

Hebron's Maggie Lindeman shares laughs and wins with teammates

Maggie Lindeman's mound mannerisms are hardly those of someone who calls herself the "team clown."

Chesterton's Modesto becoming an area tennis force

Chesterton No. 1 singles player Meg Modesto gave track a whirl when she was in seventh grade.

Valpo's Krantz returns to the mound

Tracy Corneil calls Megan Krantz an "expert pitching chart keeper," but the Valparaiso softball coach also knows her junior pitcher/shortstop is more useful in the field.

Valpo's Meihofer continues to grow as a golfer

Valparaiso boys golf coach Wayne Lichtenberger describes senior Kyle Meihofer in geometric terms.

Wheeler senior first-year starters provide lift to softball team

Position switches a day before the opener and a two-week layoff due to inclement weather haven't deterred the senior seasons for either Wheeler's Amber McGinley or Alex Sanchez.

Caitlin Kennedy steps up at No. 1 singles for Valparaiso

Caitlin Kennedy is enjoying her time at No. 1 singles for Valparaiso, but she also wants twin sister Kelly to return to health.

Portage's Jones becomes a complete softball player

Kiley Jones has always found time to work on her pitching skills. This past offseason, the Portage sophomore moved her schedule around to brush up at the plate.

Chesterton's Martin finds his golf game

Marty Martin's retirement from the steel mills 10 years ago led to the development of his son Brandon's golf game.

Boone's Starcevich tries to end softball career on high note

College is mapped out for Mackenzie Starcevich, which means the Boone Grove senior's competitive softball career ends this spring.

Portage's Haupt rises to No. 1 singles

Always interested in tennis, Mandy Haupt never acted on those feelings until she was a freshman at Portage.

Wheeler's Heinold prepared for his golf season and career

Three varsity sports, school work, an IHSAA Young Ambassador schedule and an internship with Quality Oil: Wheeler senior Drew Heinold has little time to rest his head on a pillow.

Chesterton tennis' Margaret Shinn continues to showcase her leadership skills

Diplomatic roles have been a large part of Margaret Shinn's high school life.

Chesterton's Cooley looks forward to another exciting softball season

Asked to write an English paper this year about something she loves, Chesterton junior softball player Sydney Cooley didn't scramble for a subject.

Tuzinski shows mental toughness with state finals appearance

Uneven bars is far from Brandi Tuzinski's favorite, but the Chesterton junior gymnast will be competing in that event at today's IHSAA state finals.

Valparaiso gymnasts prepare to regain the state title

Practice sometimes becomes a little much for Morgan Algozine, but a few images give the Valparaiso senior gymnast the boost she needs to finish.

Valparaiso wins sixth consecutive gymnastics regional crown

VALPARAISO | A year ago, Valparaiso punctuated a regional crown with a strong finish. Friday, the top-ranked Vikings blazed the competition with a quick start. Led by junior gymnast Morgan Algozine's 9.9 on vault, host Valparaiso led from start to finish en route to its fifth consecutive crown.

Washington Township's Feldsien aims to make one final trip to state gymnastics finals

Cassidy Feldsien strode to the beam with purpose at last Saturday's Chesterton Sectional.

Valparaiso gymnasts win 10th consecutive sectional title

CHESTERTON | Hannah Erwin said she felt tight during her beam routine Saturday afternoon, but the Valparaiso senior gymnast felt better once she she saw her score.

Strong final two rotations lead Valpo gymnasts to DAC title defense

MERRILLVILLE | Morgan Algozine was hardly tense before her vault attempts at Saturday's Duneland Athletic Conference gymnastics meet.

Kincaid makes giant strides on Chesterton's swim team

Overwhelmed at the start, it didn't take long for Chesterton junior swimmer Tony Kincaid to become quite comfortable in the pool.

Portage junior gymnast Solis force on vault

Vault hasn't always been an enjoyable event for Portage junior gymnast Danielle Solis.

Chesterton boys swimmers win 15th consecutive sectional title

LAPORTE | Six records fell at Saturday's LaPorte Sectional, but one mark quite comfortably remained intact.

Chesterton boys swimmers set up for 15th consecutive sectional title

LAPORTE | Chesterton's boys swimmers haven't competed in two-and-a-half weeks, but the state's top-ranked team showed little signs of rust at Thursday's LaPorte Sectional prelims.

Boone Grove's Steinhilber rises to the challenge

Boone Grove junior guard Sarah Steinhilber initially wasn't thrilled with changes made to her free-throw shooting form.

Curley steps up in the pool for Chesterton

This week's LaPorte Sectional is hardly an unwelcome sight for Chesterton junior swimmer Patrick Curley.

Morgan Township's Murphy finds strength after early season injury

Hannah Murphy uses her jumping ability to rise for rebounds and scoring chances, but the Morgan Township junior forward's high-flying court plans were grounded with an early season lower-leg injury.

C.P.. Chesterton lead area contingent at state swim prelims

Crown Point can make program history today, while Chesterton may add to its event-win total at the IHSAA girls swimming and diving finals.

Chesterton swimmer Coudriet breaks through this season

Cheryl Coudriet enrolled her daughter Madisyn in swimming classes at an early age to combat any fear of water.

Michigan City, LaPorte advance in Portage Sectional semifinals

PORTAGE | Michigan City coach Michael Megyese had some glowing things to say about Tuesday's game, but most of those comments were about Crown Point.

Wheeler point guard Allie Stevenson broadens her game

Allie Stevenson remembers basketball games in her family's driveway, trying to dribble and shoot without big brother Mitchell stealing her every opportunity.

Boone Grove's Strickland makes stride in second gymnastics season

Victoria Strickland's early childhood memories of gymnastics have come full circle.

Chesterton girls swimmers take 14th consecutive sectional crown

CHESTERTON | Even though Chesterton won its 14th consecutive girls swimming sectional Saturday, the team still found plenty of ways to surprise coach Kevin Kinel.

Chesterton takes nine top seeds at sectional swimming prelims

CHESTERTON | Vanessa Krause admitted that she wasn't at her best Thursday night, but that didn't stop the Chesterton freshman from making an impact.

Wheeler's Metzger makes a splash as a freshman swimmer

Even though Rachel Metzger is only a freshman, the Wheeler swimmer doesn't appear overwhelmed about competing in today's Chesterton Sectional.

LaCrosse's Sievers a role model to teammates and community

LaCrosse senior Gabbie Sievers has scored points among her teammates and in the community with her leadership skills.

S.C., Boone Grove face daunting sectional draws

Five teams in the Class A Oregon-Davis Sectional field have at least 10 wins, so South Central girls basketball coach Rick Budka was hardly expecting an easy draw.

South Central girls clinch share of PCC round-robin title

UNION MILLS | South Central was mired in a three-game losing streak, but Satellites girls basketball coach Rick Budka still saw smiles on the faces of his players before Saturday's game against Morgan Township.

Chesterton's Hurst becomes an integral part of boys swimming lineup

Andy Hurst loves being in the water, whether the Chesterton junior is braving last Sunday's bitter weather to surf Lake Michigan with father Charles or doing laps in the high school pool.

Washington Township's Higgins gives team an added lift this season

Idle time is hardly at a premium during Sammie Higgins' offseason.

Morgan Township's Maxwell makes an immediate impact

Even at an early age, gymnastics was part of Kylee Mazwell's life. Maxwell was active in "Mommy and Me" classes when she was just 18 months old.

Wheeler swimmer Bolde becomes very competitive in distance events

Brandon Bolde realized he could not always be pushed by his competition. The Wheeler sophomore distance swimmer dedicated himself to building a stronger internal drive.

Cherokees upset S.C. in opening round of PCC tourney

MORGAN TOWNSHIP | Washington Township's offense wasn't always firing on all cylinders, but Senators forward Sammie Higgins kept the engine from stalling Monday night.

Morgan Township's Coleman perseveres through painful season

Moments into the season opener, Morgan Township guard Trina Coleman landed awkwardly after a layup and jammed her knee. A few weeks later, she dislocated her shoulder against the Argos and missed two games.