Gymnastics searching for revenge win over Kent State
Clarkston senior Halle Moraw poses during her balance beam routine during a meet against Northern Illinois on Feb. 6, 2015 in McGuirk Arena.
Searching for vengeance against Mid-American Conference rival Kent State University, the Central Michigan University gymnastics team heads to Ohio for a matchup with the Golden Flashes at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The Golden Flashes were the only MAC team to defeat the Chippewas in last season’s championship run.
Kent State finished second in last year’s MAC Championships, but are led by last season’s MAC Coach of the Year Brice Biggin.
“This will be a pressure-packed meet for both teams,” said CMU Head Coach Jerry Reighard. “Kent is not an easy place to compete. Their crowd is obnoxious. I always say it’s like going into another country.”
Besides the rematch, Sunday’s meet presents a unique and unfamiliar opportunity for the Chippewas, to get back to first place in the conference. They will need to beat KSU to earn it.
“The rivalry will be there forever,” Reighard said. “They are trying to prevent us from winning the conference. This time it has a different context but the intensity will be very apparent.”
The Golden Flashes have lost to the same two MAC opponents as CMU: Northern Illinois University and Eastern Michigan University.
KSU’s season-high team score was 195 against Western Michigan University. The Golden Flashes followed their performance scoring less than 194 last week.
“With all of the work we put in this week, I am just ready to go in and kill it,” said CMU senior Becca Druien. “It’s about us doing our job, not worrying about them.”
The maroon and gold went from a 196.175 to lower than a 194 two weeks after the loss to NIU.
KSU could give the Chippewas a run on the bars. KSU freshman powerhouse Rachel Stypinksi scored two 9.9s in her meet against Pittsburgh to open the Golden Flashes’ season.
