Gymnastics finishes fourth at MAC Championships, Janowicz named MAC Freshman of the Year

Central Michigan (12-3, 4-2 MAC) placed fourth with a score of 195.6, their second best team score this season, behind Bowling Green, host team Ball State and first place Eastern Michigan.

During first rotation, the Chippewas scored a 49.225 on floor, their highest team score on the event this season. Individually, senior Taylor Bolender scored a 9.875, the highest for the Chippewas on the event.

"I was very impressed with the effort that we gave," said Head Coach Jerry Reighard to ESPN3. "One of our goals today was to do our personal best. The championship is where we put it all together. I was very pleased with the first rotation."

Freshmen Gianna Plaksa and Abbie Rose Zoeller both scored their personal best on the floor event.

The Chippewas moved onto vault in the third rotation after a bye in the second, and had its lowest-scoring event with a 48.550. Senior Karlee Teet led CMU with a 9.775.

Moving onto fifth rotation, Central Michigan was on the uneven bars. The Chippewas tied their season-best team score on the event with a 49.1, with sophomore Bryttany Kaplan and senior Megan Lamphere both scoring a 9.9.

The two gymnasts were crowned as the MAC uneven bars champions.

"I feel like it hasn't really sunken in yet," Lamphere said. "I was so happy to celebrate with my team and seeing their faces after my routine. It's incredible to share the title with Bryttany and know how hard we worked in the gym to get this."

Ending on sixth rotation, CMU scored a 48.725 on the balance beam, counting one of the two falls on the beam. Bolender started off the Chippewas and scored a season-best 9.9.

"The balance beam was definitely the event that took us out of a solid second place, or possibly first," Reighard said. "You can't make those mistakes, and Eastern Michigan had no falls. We could have recorded better scores on vault as well."

Bolender scored a 39.175 in the all-around, her best all season and finished third overall.

Freshman Kasey Janowicz was crowed MAC Freshman of the Year. Janowicz has won eight all-around competitions this season and scored a 9.85, 9.75, 9.65 and 9.2 in her first MAC Championships.

"It was crazy, I've never been in that type of meet before," Janowicz said. "It was exciting because you had to prove yourself in front everyone and the other teams. Winning freshman of the year was my goal coming into CMU and being a freshmen, it's really an accomplishment."

Three Chippewas also made the 11-member MAC All-Tournament team, including senior Taylor Bolender, Lamphere and Kaplan.