Gorches: Individual champs top Northwest Indiana’s list

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Updated: February 2, 2012 10:02AM

It’s that time of the year again. Time to look back at another 365 days of Northwest Indiana high school sports and give kudos to our state champs in the best way possible: by ranking them.

OK, maybe that’s not the ideal way, but it’s my favorite way, and it’s the way of 21st Century media.

Everything’s a top 10 or top 20 or top 100 list with a controversial conclusion at the top to get a debate going. The following list is no exception as we rank the top region high school state champions from 2011.

There weren’t as many as in recent years when there have been as many as eight champs, like in 2010 when the region had team state champs in baseball (Andrean), basketball (Bowman Academy and Wheeler) and softball (Wheeler).

None of those sports had champs in 2011, which is rare.

This past year, there were only three NWI team state champs, and five individual state champions.

In fact, it could be argued that this past year’s runners-up were as prestigious as the champions.

Hanover Central reached its first state final in a boys sport, losing to South Spencer in the Class 2A baseball championship.

Bishop Noll lost by just one point to Park Tudor and future Indiana University point guard Yogi Ferrell in the 2A boys basketball state final.

Andrean finished runner-up in Class 3A softball for the second time in three years.

And in bowling the Lake Central boys lost to Huntington North in the state championship match.

But we still have enough champs to reflect on in this edition of my annual New Year’s column, and rank them to provide some debate. And trust me, I went outside the box with my top choices.

7. Ayersman and Tsirtsis

There was no team wrestling state champ this year, and only two individual champs. But those two champs — Kyle Ayersman of Lake Central and Jason Tsirtsis of Crown Point — deserve kudos as a duo.

Ayersman won at 119 pounds, defeating Brenden Campbell of New Castle in an overtime decision. Tsirtsis had an easier time in beating Phelan Montgomery of Terre Haute South in a 15-5 decision at 140 pounds. Both are favorites to repeat as champs next month.

6. Munster hockey

The Mustangs won their second state title in three years, knocking off Lake Shore St. Joseph’s (Mich.) 3-1 in Indianapolis last March. Yes, hockey isn’t sanctioned, but that doesn’t mean the title is any less of an achievement.

5. Crown Point boys soccer

The Bulldogs made it two state titles for the region in as many years in boys soccer, repeating what Lake Central did in 2010. They may had six losses on the season, but a tough schedule contributed to that. The only aspect of Crown Point’s run that could make non-soccer fans shake their heads is that it didn’t score a goal in its last three games.

That would be more than 300 minutes in three games (two semistate wins and the state final, including overtime) without a goal on offense. But the defense was stifling and penalty kicks were needed in each of those victories. Taking nothing away from CP — it was up to the challenge. I just don’t know if I could have watched that much scorelessness.

4. Valparaiso gymnastics

Sorry to those who find gymnastics as unentertaining as, well, soccer, but the Vikings winning their fourth straight state title — a first in 39 years of the state tourney — was impressive with Steffanie Long and Morgan Algozine leading the way in the finals.

In my years of covering region sports, I still haven’t figured out the secret to Valparaiso’s gymnast-producing factory that keeps churning out individual and team champs.

3. Aby Madigral
and Elizabeth Quinn

The Highland girls tennis doubles team of Madrigal and Quinn finished an undefeated campaign (17-0) by defeating Ashley Rogers and Elizabeth Theil of Jasper 6-2, 6-4 in the state championship match. They’re just the second region girls state doubles championship team and Madrigal still has two years left to either make another run at an individual state title, or maybe help lead Highland to state.

2. Tori Bliss, Portage

The track and field standout deserves to be placed above team state champs after winning her third straight title in the shot put. And she added to her high school legacy by winning the shot put title at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. Now she’s competing at LSU and I wouldn’t be surprised if she makes a run at an NCAA title in the future.

Think it’s unusual to have an individual champ at No. 2 on this list? How about the next champ ...

1. Kelly Grassel, Chesterton

Grassel won the girls golf state title last fall, shooting a two-day total of 4-over-par 148 on the challenging Legends of Indiana course in Franklin.

What makes it more special than any other state title? It’s the first Northwest Indiana girls golf state champ after producing seven boys titlists over the years.

Her effort also helped Chesterton finish sixth at state as a team.

And to think she’s just a junior with one more year to make more history.

It wasn’t an abundant year of NWI champs, especially from a team standpoint, but it was memorable as usual. Now here’s hoping for a bigger output in 2012, including some basketball champions in March.