Gymnastics team sweeps all events
Chris McCarty
The Sault Ste. Marie freshman scored a 9.8 for CMU’s first successful routine Saturday at Rose Arena.
Duggan finished tied for second on floor exercise with a 9.85 and scored a 9.725 on balance beam to help the Chippewas defeat Ball State 195.2 to 194.425.
Central won all four events and finished second in the MAC at 4-2 and 11-9 overall.
“This is a huge win for us,” said Head Coach Jerry Reighard. “We knew what was on the line and we wanted the win desperately.”
It also is the fourth time in a month the Chippewas have scored more than 195.
Junior Sarah Dame won the all around with a 39.025 and won the floor exercise with a career-high 9.9, which captivated the crowd, Reighard said.
“It was an incredible day for her,” he said.
Dame finished second on the vault and scored a 9.725 on balance beam. She also scored a 9.7 on the uneven bars.
Freshman Kara Reighard said she jarred her back after she landed her vault during the first rotation, which scored a 9.7.
Despite the injury, she finished second in the all around with a 38.625 and Ball State’s Amy Bodus finished third with a 38.075.
Reighard scored a 9.675 on floor exercise and finished third on the beam with a 9.775.
She said she fought through her bars routine to score a 9.475.
The Cardinals led CMU 97.275 to 97.2 after two events and the first rotation.
“It was a slow start for us,” Jerry Reighard said. “I was worried, but adversity brings out the best in our team.
“We held it together and kept applying the pressure to Ball State to make them score better than us.”
CMU finished with a 49.125 on floor exercise and never trailed after a 48.875 on balance beam, which won the meet, Reighard said.
“I told our team we have a tiger on our tail, let’s cut them loose,” Reighard said.
Junior Michele Orloski won the balance beam with a 9.85, which Reighard said was the best beam routine of her career.
Freshman Sara Burtinsky finished second with a 9.8.
“After we scored big on beam, it was tough for Ball State to match,” co-captain Dame said. “We backed each other up the whole meet.”
Orloski also finished tied for second on floor exercise with a 9.85 and second on the vault with a 9.725.
Burtinsky tied a career-high finishing first on the uneven bars with a 9.85. Senior Bethany Couturier finished fourth with a 9.825 and scored a 9.675 on the vault.
Freshman Laura McLaren scored a 9.75 on the uneven bars and floor exercise. Sophomore Tiffani Berra added a 9.775 on floor exercise.
“This is a big confidence boost for us, especially for the MAC championship,” Kara Reighard said. “We just slammed another score of 195 in another MAC opponent’s face.”
The win gives the Chippewas the second choice of rotation at the MAC championship and gives them a bye in the first rotation.
“We are going to start on bars and finish on vault,” Jerry Reighard said.
He said CMU has won a MAC championship after starting on the uneven bars.
The score of 195.2 allows CMU to drop its score of 193.25 against Western Michigan, which will improve the Chippewas regional qualifying score.
NOTES: Jerry Reighard welcomes the public to attend the gymnastics team practices this week.
People can walk into the practice facility at3:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday in Rose 150.
He said it’s designed to prepare the team for the MAC championship.
People in attendance will be asked to make noise in order to simulate the MAC championship atmosphere.
