Gymnastics competes at MAC
Chris McCarty
The meet is in Worthen Arena at 2 p.m.
“We are extremely ready for this meet, we are more focused this year than we’ve been in the last two years,” said Head Coach Jerry Reighard.
“We have all the tools to have a winning performance and to dominate the meet.”
Central finished second in the MAC at 4-2 and 11-9 overall and earned the second choice of rotation Saturday.
The team open the meet with a bye, when the scores will be the lowest.
Then begin on the uneven bars and then have another bye. Next, the team has the balance beam and floor exercise.
Following another bye, the CMU will finish on the vault in the meets last rotation, when scores will be the highest.
“It’s a great rotation for us,” Reighard said. “When the pressure is on everyone it’s great to finish a meet on vault.”
The Chippewas have won three MAC titles with this rotation in 1990, 1995 and 1998.
Bowling Green finished 17-1 overall and 6-0 in the MAC and will compete in Olympic order for the first time.
“It’s the first time Bowling Green has high expectations,” Reighard said. “Every team can compete, the difference will be which team handles the pressure.”
Reighard said Ball State will have an advantage being at home, but the Cardinals have yet to score a 195 or better at home.
Central is the only team to score 195 or better on the road.
Kent State has score 196 or better three times at home, but never scored 195 or better on the road.
The Golden Flashes won the 2001 MAC championship with a record score of 195.675.
CMU finished second with a 194.9 and won four individual MAC titles.
Reighard said CMU can’t count any falls and intend to hit five of six events on each event.
Last year, the team counted two falls on balance beam.
Junior Sarah Dame tied for first in the all around with a 39.15. Laura Chow won the balance beam with a school tying record of 9.925 and junior Tammy Verrinder won the vault with a 9.925 and the uneven bars with a 9.875.
The three gymnasts were named first-team All-MAC and Chow won the “MAC Senior of the Year.”
This season Central defeated Kent State 195.725 to 193.9 but lost at Bowling Green.
Freshman Kara Reighard did not practice until Thursday but will compete on Saturday, Jerry Reighard said.
She finished second in the all around with a score of 38.625 despite injuring her back after her vault.
Dame won the all around with a score of 39.025 helping CMU defeat Ball State 195.2 to 194.425.
The Chippewas took first on all four events and was the fourth score of 195 over better this season.
Eastern Michigan is the only team that took last week off.
Since, 1987 Central or Kent State has won the MAC championship.
CMU will head to the NCAA regional if they maintain the No. 6 spot in the Central region with a regional qualifying score of 194.92.
