CMU gymnastics wins on the road against EMU
Central Michigan University gymnastics kicked off Mid-American Conference action Friday at Eastern Michigan.
The Chippewas enter MAC competition as the reigning back-to-back conference championship winners. CMU proved its success, opening this season's conference competition with a victory against the Eagles 195.825-194.500.
“I thought we had a really strong showing today... From start to finish a solid performance on every event,” head coach Christine MacDonald said.
Central Michigan set the tone early on uneven bars as both sophomore Luciana Alvarado-Reid and junior Lia Kmieciak posted a 9.850. The team scored an overall 49.000 on bars and tied with CMU’s vault for best rotation of the day.
“I think this team is really unified in everything that we do from the time we get on that bus to the time we get off,” MacDonald said. “…They really celebrate each other’s performances. I think they get more excited for each other than they do sometimes their own performance.”
The Chippewas competed on vault in their second event with freshman Jenna Germond tying for first place with 9.850 alongside the Eagle’s Alana Fisher.
“She just started out our rotation that way, and it was nice to see that she was rewarded for those efforts,” MacDonald said.
Central Michigan widened it’s margin of victory in the third rotation, scoring an overall 48.900 on floor. The Chippewas were led by senior Hallie Hornbacher and Alvarado-Reid, who both posted 9.850 and were in a three-way tie for first with EMU’s Raisa Borris.
CMU finished the night on beam. Alvarado-Reid and senior Elizabeth Cesarone tied for the Chippewas’s best score with 9.825.
Continuing her success to the start of the season, Alvarado-Reid had the best all-around score of the meet, scoring an overall 39.325.
“She really has been a consistent performer for us this year so far and really has put that time in the gym as well,” MacDonald said. “It’s nice to see her pick up where she left off last year and continue that process.”
Central Michigan will face off against EMU again in a quad-meet next weekend along with Northern Illinois and Gustavus Adolphus College.
“I think the takeaway is that we really were focused on ourselves today,” MacDonald said. “We’ve worked really hard this week to make some changes in the gym and some of those changes and some we still need to continue to work on.”
The quad-meet will take place at 2 p.m. in DeKalb, Illinois Sunday, Jan. 28.
