Angola senior Alex Nickel won her second beam state title this past weekend at the IHSAA Gymnastics State Championships. (File photo by Mike Deak)

MUNCIE – Alex Nickel closed her stellar career at Angola as a champion.

A 9.525 on the beam was tops at the IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals for Nickel, who earned her third state title and second on beam. Nickel, who also won beam and bars titles in 2012, finished the 2014 finals tied for third on floor (9.525) and third in all-around at 37.7. Nickel scored a 9.425 on vault for ninth and 9.2 on bars to tie for 13th overall.

Nickel was a state runner-up in all-around scoring in 2012 and 2013 and was a floor state runner-up in 2013. Nickel swept the Wawasee Sectional categories with wins in all five events to start her senior season push in the state tournament.

Following the event, Nickel was named 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.

Nickel, who will attend the University of Michigan this fall to study Pre-Medicine, owns a 4.0 GPA, ranks 10th in her senior class, and is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Student Athletic Leadership Advisory Council.

Also representing the sectional at state were three other individuals. Alex Cool of Hamilton was seventh on beam (9.275) and tied for 11th on vault (9.4) and concluded her career in 11th in all-around scoring at 36.95. Cool also posted a 9.225 for 12th on bars and 9.025 on floor for 26th overall.

Plymouth’s Cassi Quissell peaked on bars, tied for 13th at 9.2 and was tied for 18th at 35.7 in all-around scoring. Quissell added scores of 8.975 on vault for 32nd, 8.9 on floor for 31st and 8.625 on beam for 31st overall.

DeKalb’s Ryley Gibson participated in one event, scoring an 8.75 on vault to place 39th overall.

Valparaiso won its 10th state gymnastics title by edging out Fort Wayne Dwenger 111.85-111.225.

Individual champions at the state finals were Chasity Wampler of Richmond on vault at 9.85; Danielle Solis of Portage on floor at 9.75; Nickel on beam at 9.525; and Kylee Maxwell of Morgan Township grabbed both the bars title at 9.65 and all-around championship with a 37.8.