Gymnastics takes second
MUNCIE, Ind. –– The gymnastics team won just about everything but the team championship Saturday at Worthen Arena.
Central won four individual MAC titles and scored the top three balance beam routines, but counted two falls on beam, finishing one routine short of Ball State.
The Cardinals won their first MAC championship with a score of 195.375. CMU finished second for the second straight year with a 194.975.
“It’s a bittersweet ending,” said Head Coach Jerry Reighard. “We had an incredible meet on three events. Unfortunately our mistakes on the beam cost us the championship.”
The Chippewas scored a 47.775 on the beam in the meet’s fourth rotation. It was the first time since February they counted falls in their score.
“It’s totally unexplainable,” Reighard said. “We needed to stay on and we didn’t.”
Senior Bethany Couturier won the balance beam with a score of 9.875.
“I didn’t care about our falls,” Couturier said. “I just went out there and did my routine skill by skill.”
She also scored a 9.8 on the uneven bars and a 9.7 on the vault.
Freshman Kara Reighard won the all around with a score of 39.425, tying the school record held by Couturier.
Reighard tied for second on the uneven bars with a career-high 9.875 and tied for third place in the vault.
She added a 9.875 on floor exercise and tied for second on balance beam with a 9.825.
Junior Sarah Dame finished eighth in the all around with a score of 37.675.
The Chippewas scored season-highs on the uneven bars with a 48.975 and a 48.925 on the vault.
Freshman Shanna Duggan won the vault with a career-high 9.9. It was the first time this season she stuck her landing.
“It’s an incredible accomplishment for her, in one season to learn a vault, train it and then win here with the vault. It’s an incredible start to her career,” Reighard said.
Duggan also tied for second with a 9.825 on the balance beam.
Junior Michele Orloski finished in a six-way tie for first on floor exercise with a 9.9, and led CMU to score a 49.3.
Orloski also scored a 9.725 on the vault and sophomore Tiffani Berra scored a 9.825 on floor exercise.
“We fought hard on the last two events. We are excited that we fought to a second-place finish,” Jerry Reighard said.
Freshman Laura McLaren scored a career-high 9.85 on floor exercise and added a 9.75 on the uneven bars.
Senior Sarah Nelson scored a 9.775 on the bars with the pressure on to stick her routine.
“She has not done well in the past when the pressure is on her,” Reighard said. “But today it’s a credit to her that she refused to give up.”
Dame added a 9.775 on bars and scored a 9.825 on floor exercise.
She also scored a 9.725 on the vault and freshman Sara Burtinsky tied her career-high with a 9.675.
Couturier, Duggan, Orloski and Reighard were named to the All-MAC team at the end of the meet, which is a CMU record.
“It was a rewarding meet individually,” Reighard said. “It was encouraging to beat Bowling Green and Kent State, but we didn’t come here for second place.”
Rounding up the MAC: Kent State 194.875, Eastern Michigan 194.1, Bowling Green 193.075, Western Michigan 192.125 and Northern Illinois 190.875.
It’s the first time since 1987 CMU or Kent State has not won the MAC championship.
