Reigning MAC Co-Gymnasts of the Year square off in rivalry meet
The winner of a head-to-head matchup between Central Michigan's Brittany Petzold and Kent State's Marie Case has decided the winning team in five of the last six gymnastics meetings.
Competing against each other in all-around six times in their careers, the seniors will be a key matchup Sunday. With each gymnast potentially accounting for 20 percent of their team’s total score, Case versus Petzold is a rivalry within the rivalry.
"(Petzold and Case) are the two horses that are going to run the race,” Reighard said. “It’s a big rivalry. They’ve each been all-around MAC champion, they’ve each been Gymnast of the Year. To me, this is what sports are all about. It’s rivalries and it’s outcoaching your other opponents and it’s the challenge of being No. 1. That’s why I coach.”
Petzold and Case went on an official visit together before choosing their respective schools, but didn’t talk much. They were destined to be rivals.
“(The rivalry) started freshman year right away,” Petzold said. “She was their No. 1 all-arounder and I was one of the all-arounders here. It just really pushed me to (try to) get Freshman of the Year, Gymnast of the Year, all that stuff.”
Reighard had been holding Petzold out from all-around this year after she injured her ankle early in the season, although she participated in at least one event in every meet.
She was able to compete in all four events against Bowling Green and took first out of the six all-arounders with a 39.225. Case’s season high in all-around is 39.375.
“I personally think Brittany Petzold is better,” Reighard said. “They each have two events that they are really strong on, so it’s going to be who can ante up, who can get to the pinnacle of the other two events. Whoever does that first is going to come out a whisker (ahead). It’s going to be a half-tenth, quarter-tenth (difference).”
Petzold is 4-2 against Case in regular season and postseason meetings, although both of Case’s victories came last season.
“I think that’s huge motivation this year to take that title away from her,” Petzold said. “We’re both really hard competitors; we both want to get that win.”
Lurking as another potential threat in all-around is junior Becca Druien.
“(We’re) trying to take one and two and leave (Case) in third,” Druien said.
Petzold leads the Mid-American Conference in all-around average, even though Case has the highest single score.
The Chippewas are ranked No. 19 in the country and have had higher scores over the past four weeks than the No. 25 Golden Flashes have had all season.
“If we just do what we have been doing this season, then we can really kick their butt,” Petzold said.
Not only is Kent State the only other MAC team ranked nationally, but they also have been CMU’s rival in gymnastics for decades.
Reighard compares the rivalry to the CMU and Western Michigan rivalry in other sports.
“It more times than not determines who wins the regular season champion,” Reighard said. “It can’t get a bigger rivalry than putting that trophy on the line.”
The Chippewas and Golden Flashes have asserted dominance by combining to win 23 of the past 26 MAC Championships. Kent State was also picked to win the conference in this season's MAC Preseason Coaches poll, even though CMU has taken the last four titles.
“It’s a showdown. Team, all-around, individuals, we’re looking forward to it,” Reighard said. “It’ll be a battle to the last routine, I’m sure. It always is.”
The meet will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday in McGuirk Arena.
Infographic:
2011 (1):
|
1 |
Central Michigan |
195.100 |
|
2 |
Kent State |
194.875 |
|
3 |
Brittany Petzold | Central Michigan |
39.075 |
|
4 |
Marie Case | Kent State |
38.900 |
2011 (2):
|
1 |
Central Michigan |
195.900 |
|
2 |
Kent State |
195.050 |
|
3 |
Brittany Petzold | Central Michigan |
39.125 |
|
4 |
Marie Case | Kent State |
39.050 |
2012 (1):
|
1 |
Central Michigan Chippewas |
194.475 |
|
2 |
Kent State |
193.550 |
|
2 |
Brittany Petzold | Central Michigan Chippewas |
39.000 |
|
3 |
Marie Case | Kent State |
38.925 |
2012 (2):
| Central Michigan |
195.675 |
| Kent State |
195.225 |
|
1 |
Brittany Petzold | Central Michigan |
39.150 |
|
2 |
Marie Case | Kent State |
39.025 |
2013 (1):
|
1 |
Kent State 2012-13 |
196.050 |
|
2 |
Central Michigan |
194.900 |
|
1 |
Marie Case | Kent State 2012-13 |
39.025 |
|
2 |
Becca Druien | Central Michigan |
38.900 |
|
3 |
Brittany Petzold | Central Michigan |
38.700 |
2013 (2):
|
1 |
Central Michigan |
194.800 |
|
1 |
Western Michigan |
194.800 |
|
3 |
Kent State |
194.775 |
|
1 |
Marie Case | Kent State |
39.250 |
|
2 |
Brittany Petzold | Central Michigan |
39.200 |
