‘We couldn’t be more excited about it': CMU gymnastics wins second straight MAC championship
The CMU gymnastics team poses for a picture with the trophy they earned for winning the MAC Gymnastics Championship on March 18, 2023. Photo by Matt Brown | Kent Wire
Central Michigan gymnastics won its second consecutive Mid-American Conference Championship with a score of 196.525 on Saturday hosted by Kent State University.
“We put up a really good score, but we knew it was going to come down to tenths (of a point),” head coach Christine MacDonald said.
After the Chippewas finished their final event in the sixth rotation, they had a bye through the seventh and last rotation and had to wait for the final results.
Ball State (196.325) and Kent State (196.175) were hot on CMU’s heels competing in the last rotation on floor and beam.
However, the Chippewas prevailed, leading the entire meet from their first rotation on bars.
Senior Savana Kotas stepped up for CMU posting her first score of the season and matching her career-best 9.850 on bars.
“It’s been a wild year and it’s been filled with ups and downs,” Kotas said. “It’s not how I thought my senior year would be, but I think it’s the best senior year that I could have ever had …. I haven’t had a score count all year and to have this be a moment that I could be there for my team is just really special to me.”
Senior Hannah DeMers matched her career-best on bars and floor with a 9.950 on each and took first in the all-around with 39.475. She also tied for first on floor with Western Michigan’s Payton Murphy and took first on bars.
“The number one goal is that we’re going to have a good time because when we have a good time we do our best gymnastics,” DeMers said.
DeMers also received MAC Senior Gymnast of the Year marking the 11th winner in school history.
“I can’t believe I made it this far,” DeMers said. “It’s just crazy.”
Freshman Luciana-Alvarado Reid was named MAC Freshman Gymnast of the Year. Reid was in a five-way tie for third on vault with 9.850 and had an all-around score of 39.400.
“It’s just been so nice and so fun,” Reid said. “Gymnastics has never been more fun to me, so I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
Central Michigan ended regular season MAC competition 4-2, falling to Western Michigan and Ball Sate.
“We never let up, we reset after every event and we work hard to put ourselves in that position,” MacDonald said.
