PORTAGE — The scores were better than last season, but unfortunately for Madi Carpenter they weren’t quite high enough to earn a spot in the IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals.

Carpenter, a Lapel junior, finished 12th overall with a score of 36.125 at Saturday’s Portage Regional.

The top six scorers in the all-around and top six scorers in each event qualified for the March 14 state finals at Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie.

Gymnasts could also qualify by receiving the score of the sixth-place gymnast at the previous state finals meet (vault 9.575; beam 9.325; bars 9.45; floor 9.525; all-around 37.225).

Carpenter’s highest placing was in the all-around. For events, she came closest to qualifying by the scoring standards of last year’s state finals.

She was just .150 off on floor exercise, finishing 19th with a score of 9.375. She was a mere .275 off on vault, placing 15th with a score of 9.3. She added a 15th-place finish on the beam (8.8) and a 20th spot on bars (8.65).

It was the second-straight year she had advanced to regional competition. During last year’s meet at Valparaiso High School, Carpenter was 18th in the all-around with a score of 34.625. Along with her all-around scoring and placing, she bettered her regional performance this year on floor (24th — 8.475), vault (19th — 9.00) and beam (25th — 7.975). Last year, she was ninth on bars (9.175).

To qualify for the regional, Carpenter placed high in the Feb. 28 Noblesville Sectional. She finished third overall with a score of 36.625, topping her score of 36.125 accomplished at last year’s sectional meet.

In other sectional event scores from Noblesville, Carpenter placed third on beam (9.150) and floor exercise (9.175) and fourth on vault (9.350) and bars (8.950).